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.

A great example of recovery from a disaster

A great example of recovery from a disaster using the visual aids available today!

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.

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."