Providing A Safe Atmosphere For The Visually Impaired

Anyone who has raised a child knows what it means to childproof your home. A simple low-hanging tablecloth can spell disaster if tugged on by a toddler. Objects placed on a table can tumble on a child, causing harm. An alert parent safety-checks the home to avoid such accidents.

The same care that goes into reducing household hazards to young children should be applied in homes where a person with visual problems lives, especially an older and/or disabled person. At least 40% of all accidents occur in the home. Below is a list of pointers to help you avoid household accidents:

1. Get sufficient lighting. With age or deteriorating vision, you need more light, as much as two to three times the amount a healthy teenager needs to see the same object. Use fluorescent lights in the kitchen and bathroom. For close work, use bulbs and lamps that are especially designed for persons with low vision.

2. Make the color work for you. Falls can be prevented by choosing single-color carpeting rather than floral and other types of patterns, which can be visually confusing and may cause missteps. Call attention to such hazards as floor heights that differ from one room to another by laying down strips of colored tape at the intersections or by using different-colored floor coverings.

To aid in the kitchen and dining room, choose tableware and dishes that contrast with your tablecloths and/or place mats. Light-colored plates display food better than dark plates do.

3. Be aware of your visual limitations. One problem associated with progressive glaucoma is the loss of peripheral vision. When you can no longer see your toes when standing up straight, you can be sure that you are missing objects in your path.

4. Learn your home environment well, and keep things organized. Never leave objects on stairs or in travel pathways, and ask every person in the household to help out by keeping objects in familiar places. Getting about can become a problem if your vision deteriorates. To gain confidence, reconstruct your home in your mind's eye, noting the placement of each object. Once you have fully learned the territory you can move about easily.

Safety Precautions If You Have Glaucoma

Some people with glaucoma are fortunate enough to be able to continue to drive. Depending upon the state you live in, the following requirements may apply: You may be able to obtain a restricted license with as little as 20/70 vision in a single corrected good eye. For an unrestricted license, your best corrected distance acuity must be generally 20/40 or better.

If your vision is between 20/40 and 20/70 and you have a visual field of not less than 104 degrees, you may be issued a restricted license that carries special restrictions such as a shorter than normal renewal period, permission to drive only in daytime, special mirror requirements, or limitations on highway driving.

If your visual acuity is less than 20/70 but better than 20/100, you may be permitted to drive if you wear bioptic telescopes and can see 20/40 through this equipment and have a 140-degree visual field. Driving with bioptic telescopes requires practice, and you cannot apply for a license until you have undergone specific training.

Medication can sometimes affect your driving ability. In addition, be especially careful when driving at night. Low light may impair your ability to track a moving object, navigate your automobile down the road, and discern objects from their backgrounds, any of which can produce hazardous conditions when piloting a moving vehicle.

If driving is part of your lifestyle, practicing a few essential safety precautions can help you to avoid problems and stay on the road. Below are 11 recommendations from the American Optometric Association:

1. Use proper glasses for both day and night driving.
2. Avoid the use of sunglasses or tinted lenses for night driving.
3. Wear good-quality sunglasses in sunlight.
4. Avoid driving at dusk or at night if possible.
5. Clean your glasses regularly.
6. Choose narrow-temple eyeglass frames. Wide temples interfere with side vision.
7. Be an alert driver. Watch the road ahead, and check each side for vehicles, children, animals, or other hazards. Keep your head and eyes moving, and glance frequently in the rear view mirror and at the instrument panel.
8. Pace yourself to the flow of traffic.
9. Opt for a car with a clear windshield.
10. Maintain your headlights (adjusted properly) and taillights and keep your windshield clean.
11. Always wear your seatbelt. Air bags are good for additional safety, but remember that an air bag does not take the place of your seat belt.

Whether your glaucoma is relatively minor or causes a major handicap, you owe it to yourself to take an active part in your treatment. By learning all that you can about the particular form of glaucoma you have, and by understanding the effects of medication and surgical interventions, you will find yourself in a position to discuss your course of treatment with your doctor intelligently.

Keep in mind that you have a right to disagree with your doctor if you are in a nonemergency situation. You have a right to seek a second opinion and even a third if you so desire. By the same token, if you do not follow your doctor's recommendations, you need to understand that you are responsible for any harm that results.