Vision Dynamics Customer Donates Optelec Video Magnifier to Local Library

Record-Journal, Friday, April 16th, 2010

Donated machine is ‘manna' to library patrons

By Andrew Perlot
Record-Journal Staff

MERIDEN - There are thousands of books in the Meriden Public Library, but for some, the wealth of knowledge they contain remains an elusive blur. Or at least that was the case until Thursday, when an anonymous donor gave the library a reading magnification machine worth just under $3,000.

Looking at the machine, which was made by a Dutch company called Optelec and consists of a large flat-screen monitor, a high-tech camera and an adjustable platform for holding reading material, library Board of Directors President Joan Edgerly called it "manna from heaven."

Dave ZajacCharlie Collins, owner of Cheshire based Vision Dynamics, Charlie Collins, of Vision Dynamics demonstrates an Optelec machine given to the Meriden Public Library by an anonymous donor Wednesday. The machine helps the visually impaired read.Stick any sort of written text under the camera and a dial allows you to magnify it up to 72 times its normal size. The push of a button turns the background color of the page to black, making the text stand out in a vivid white.

Although the donor of the machine did not wish to be identified, Library Director Karen Roesler said the donor wished "for the machine to be used for the love of reading." The library has many vision-impaired patrons who struggle to read the small print in its books and magazines, Roesler said.

Although the library already has a computer equipped with a screen capable of magnifying digital text, the new machine, which will be placed near the existing computer in the library's main room, opens the world of printed text to vision-impaired readers. Roesler was contemplating ways to raise money for such a machine before she received a phone call from the donor, she said.

The machine came from Vision Dynamics in Cheshire, which specializes in products that assist the visually impaired. Vision Dynamics' owner, Charlie Collins, told the small crowd gathered at the library Thursday he was diagnosed with juvenile macular degeneration in early childhood, and is legally blind.

He spent his early years concentrating on what he couldn't do because of his impairment, and "I kind of limped through life," he said. Eventually, Collins said he started concentrating on solutions and using magnifiers and lights to be able to function in society independently.

Technology has advanced so fast in the last decade that there are technological aids that can dramatically improve the lives of the visually impaired, he said, adding that hopes library patrons will enjoy the new machine. "The sky is the limit," Collins said.

Merry Christmas from Charlie Collins!

12-23-2009 –
I am more grateful than ever this Christmas season and it is not Christmas day. Funny for years how I believed that somehow, someday, things would be better on their own and all along all I needed to do was sit back and realize how good I have it.
Living with legal blindness owned me for years, but now (the only time I have) I am deeply grateful. I took charge of my life and now am happy, joyous, and free.

I wish for all a happy and successful Holiday Season. This could be the time to take complete control, 100% responsibility for our lives and be grateful for our blessings.

Making a decision to focus on what I can do, and not what I cannot do or did not have made a huge difference in my life.

Yes, I can read with a video magnifier, better lighting, pocket magnifier, a computer that reads to me and displays very large print, a camera that takes a picture of my magazines – actually any printed materials - and reads them back to me in a human sounding voice, and best of all many low tech items that enable me to live a much higher quality of life.

I am grateful for all the wonderful people in my life, for my clear mind’s eye, and the inspiration I get on a daily basis to help others with their struggles.

We are all blessed. I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you in the store.

Charlie Collins

Vision Testing

Charlie Collins:

As one who is visually impaired I am very familiar with struggling with my initial thoughts. Are you having doubts or questions about your vision? Can’t do more of the things you used to handle easily? Not sure what, if anything, you can do? I remember having all these thoughts when I was diagnosed with Juvenile Macular Degeneration. If you are struggling and looking for some answers try these everyday living questions.


Do you find it difficult for you to watch sports or the news, your favorite “soaps” on TV?

Can you see the regular print in newspapers, magazines or books?

Can you see the large print headlines in the newspaper?

Are you having difficulty when you use your computer, play cards, sew, or doing other favorite things?

Are you having difficulty reading labels on medicine bottles or prices at the supermarket?

Are you having difficulty reading your own handwriting or your personal mail?

Are you sometimes even having difficulty recognizing the faces of family or friends?

Does seeing in dim or bright lights seem to be getting more difficult?


If you answered yes to three of these questions and have not had an eye exam recently I advise
you to do so as soon as possible. Your problems may not be serious and you may only need a minor adjustment to your normal vision.

If you answered yes to more than three of these questions there is a definite need for a vision examination conducted by an optometrist or ophthalmologist.

You are not alone in your doubts, perhaps even fears, about these questions. I personally know there are many ways to solve whatever problems you may be experiencing. My staff and I can help with advice or with the vision aids we deal with every day. Please call me or send me an e-mail today. I have been where you are so I know the way out.

Why You Should Use a Cane

Hello everyone! My name is Tracy and I am currently a member of the Vision Dynamics team. I have Macular Degeneration and Retinitis Pigmentosa and have had some exciting experiences using a cane. I'd love to share with you some ideas about moving more safely in your neighborhood and community.

First, it is a great way to communicate to others that you have a site problem. It takes the guess work out of the situation Many times when you have low vision you bump into things or may look a little disoriented. The cane puts it out there that you are visually impaired and not drunk.

Many folks think they don’t need it but don’t realize that they usually walk in the same places most of the time and become very familiar in their environment. It is when they are in a new place that they have difficulty. They don’t want to admit it and think that they have fooled everyone. It is hard to let everyone know you have a problem, but by doing so you are becoming part of those who are ambassadors for taking the steps necessary to be independent.

When using a cane you gather so much more information about the surface you are walking on. I do much better along with a cane than I do when someone is leading me. When you put your mobility into someone else’s hands, you are leaving it up to their interpretation.

August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month

Palmetto Health Easley - Care You Can Believe In
August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month

How healthy is your child’s vision? This is an appropriate question to ask anytime but especially in August during Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month.

According to Prevent Blindness America, a volunteer eye health and safety organization founded in 1908, without good vision, a child’s ability to learn about the world becomes more difficult. Vision problems affect one in 20 preschoolers and one in four school-age children. Since many vision problems begin at an early age, it is very important that children receive proper eye care. If left untreated, eye problems can worsen and lead to other serious problems as well as affect learning ability, personality, and adjustment in school.

Here are some common eye problems:

• Lazy eye, or amblyopia, is a loss of vision in an eye that is not corrected by glasses alone.
• Crossed eyes, or strabismus, describes eyes that are not straight or do not line up with each other. If not treated, it can cause lazy eye or amblyopia.
• Color deficiency or color blindness does not literally mean blind to color. Instead, children with this condition have difficulty identifying some colors.
• Nearsightedness or myopia describes the condition when the eyeball is too long for the normal focusing power of the eye. This results in images of distant objects appearing blurred.
• Farsightedness or hyperopia is the condition where the eyeball is too short for the normal focusing power of the eye. In children, the lens in the eye accommodates for this error and provides clear vision for distance and usually near viewing, but with considerable effort that often causes fatigue and sometimes crossed eyes.
• Astigmatism results primarily from an irregular shape of the front surface of the cornea. Children with astigmatism typically see vertical lines more clearly than horizontal ones, and sometimes the reverse.

What are signs that may indicate your child has a vision problem? Prevent Blindness America provides the following tips to parents:

What do your child’s eyes look like?

• Eyes do not line up where one appears crossed or looks out
• Eyelids are red-rimmed, crusted or swollen
• Eyes are watery or red (inflamed)

How does your child act?

• Rubs eyes a lot
• Closes or covers one eye
• Tilts head or thrusts head forward
• Has difficulty in reading or doing other close-up work, or holds objects close to eyes to see
• Blinks more than usual or seems cranky when doing close-up work
• Describes objects as being blurry or hard to see
• Squints eyes or frowns

What could your child say?

• “My eyes are itchy,” “My eyes are burning,” or “My eyes feel scratchy.”
• “I can’t see very well.”
• After doing close-up work, your child says “I feel dizzy,” “I have a headache” or “I feel sick/nauseous.”
• “Everything looks blurry,” or “I see double.”




According to Tiffany Sullivan, Vision Health Initiative director, this program seeks to eliminate barriers that prevent low-income, uninsured children from receiving vision care so that they can receive the full benefits of being in school. She said, “The benefit of good vision is not just being able to see the chalkboard or being able to see 20/20. Healthy vision involves being able to use one’s eyes for life. Proper vision helps a child analyze and respond to what is seen and to understand the other senses. Vision is a learned ability, and problems with vision can affect the development, adjustment and achievement of a child.”

As we observe Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month, if your child needs to be examined for vision problems, contact your child’s school nurse or try free vision screenings.

Clearview+ CCTV

Hello low vision friends, my name is Marge. I work here at Vision Dynamics and I have macular degeneration. Let me tell you about the new Optelec 22" Clearview Plus CCTV. It helps you read easily and effortlessly. I own this machine and with it, I am able to read bills, write checks, read mail and magazines, see the labels on medication and look at photographs. But most importantly is that with this CCTV, I can continue my love of reading. It can magnify anything you put under it, from 2x to 72x its size. It’s extremely easy to use and the focus is very clear.
If one wants their independence back, this is the only way to go. If anyone has any questions, I can share my low vision experiences with you and tell you of other products that will help you with every day living problems. Please feel free to call (203) 271- 1944 and ask for Marge!

Featured Product: Eschenbach Max TV Glasses

Recommended by: Marge Stefanec, a low vision employee of Vision Dynamics

"They're for distance and are especially useful when I go to the theater for plays. When I wear them, I can see the whole stage and the actors' faces."

Eschenbach MaxTV Binocular Glasses are perfect for anyone with low vision conditions or macular degeneration who needs help with distance viewing. They work just like binoculars, except easier to use because they are hands-free, and more attractive with a modern, high tech frame. The main purpose of the Max TV Glasses is for watching television, but the glasses are multifunctional. They can be used in a variety of activities, like outdoors at the beach or bird watching, at church to see the altar, going to a movie, or at a sporting event. Max TV Glasses can be adjusted so that each eye lens can be focused separately. The glasses have a 2.1x Magnification and can focus on an object from 10 feet away to infinity. These glasses are one of the most comfortable and useful distance viewing devices.

"I love them and use them all the time. I would recommend them to anyone who's visually impaired."