LARGE PRINT AND MAGNIFICATIONEyesight is regarded as such an important part of our everyday life that we may have the tendency to try to use it far beyond the point that it is efficient for us. We are also so used to using our sight that it is hard to imagine how we would accomplish many tasks without it. Therefore, when eyesight fails to the point that we cannot read regular printed material, it is only natural that our first response would be to find something that will magnify the print. There is nothing wrong with this approach as long as we use common sense and make sure that we are being efficient in our methods. Let's look at this example. You, as a sighted person, were able to read print at 300 words per minute. Now, you need to use a hand-held magnifier, and you can only read about fifty or fewer words a minute. Is this efficient for you? To read a book, no! To read a short piece of personal correspondence, maybe. What you should do will also depend on whether your sight is likely to diminish further. You don't want to purchase some expensive magnifying device which will not work for you in six months. You are not alone in your search for a good magnifier. Many people would like to find a magnifier that would help them get around their particular eye problem. There are, however, so many specialized magnifiers available, no one could possibly prescribe the best one by mail. Let us start with some general information on magnifiers that you may find useful. Whenever an article such as a book is magnified, the amount of material which can be seen at one time decreases. It is possible to magnify a book so that each letter is two inches high, but only a few letters can be magnified at a time. A general rule of thumb is that the greater the magnification becomes, the smaller the area which can be magnified. In other words, using a magnifier will never be as simple and smooth as reading without magnification. If you have not already done so, you should ask your eye care specialist to refer you to a good low-vision clinic. A good clinic will have examples of most common magnifiers. You should examine them under conditions which are as similar as possible to the conditions in your home. Some centers will permit patients to take magnifiers home for a 30-day trial period. You should consider using alternative methods for doing some of your pleasure reading. If you can get books which interest you on tape, you can use your eyes for reading mail and other things which are not available in recorded form. That will tend to reduce eye strain. To locate the library which provides recorded books in your area, contact your local public library or your state rehabilitation agency for the blind. One source of optical aids and magnifying devices is Donegan Optical Company, Inc., (913) 492-2500. As you may have discovered, however, it is very difficult to determine if a magnifying device will be of any help to you without having the opportunity to see it first. Therefore, we would strongly recommend that you visit a low-vision clinic and try some devices rather than ordering from a catalog. There are some materials which are commercially available in large print. A number of libraries for the blind also distribute large print books. Those libraries which do not handle large print directly usually can refer patrons to sources of large print material in their community. Most public libraries have a small collection of large print books. They can order other titles for you by borrowing them from other public libraries. The New York Times publishes a large print weekly summary of its columns and features. You can order it by writing the New York Times directly. Reader's Digest and Guideposts also publish large type editions. The Reader's Digest Large Type Edition is available by contacting P. O. Box 241, Mount Morris, Illinois 61043; telephone (815) 734-6963. The magazine subscription is currently available for $8.95. There is also a weekly large-type news magazine entitled The World At Large. For further information please contact The World At Large, P. O. Box 90330, Brooklyn, New York 11219, (718) 972-4000. You may also want to request the free catalog available from The Large Print Book Club, G. K. Hall & Company, 70 Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111. If you want to buy books, check with your local bookstore. Most of the bookstores carry a few large print titles. They also have catalogs from publishers and can order books especially for you. Unfortunately, large print books are often expensive. We hope these resources will be helpful. For a comprehensive list of
materials which are available in large print, contact the National Library
Service for their reference circular entitled "Reading Materials
in Large Type." This circular is available free of charge from the
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, 1291
Taylor Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 30542; telephone (202) 707-5100
or (800) 424-9100. |