Being visually impaired: Technology has made it possible for me to study!

Due to my eye-condition (called Stargardt’s Disease) I lost my central vision which now has left me with a vision of 5%. It started when I was 10 but I’ve never let my vision loss stop me from doing the things I want! Here you can read a bit more about me and here you can find some of my experiences, thought and tips of going to the supermarket while being visually impaired.   

I am really grateful for the possibilities technology created for me, among other things it has made it possible for me to go to the university to get my master’s degree in Healthpsychology and Technology. So I want to show you what enables me to do this. Because I am a proud of the tools I have haha and maybe you know others who can benefit from it as well! 

So, yep, this is me with my first reading tool.   It was during high school that I was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease and aside from getting a laptop with magnifying options and speech, for reading books I got a glass globe which you can see in the picture below. 

However, as the years went by it got harder for me to read through this globe, I had to be so up close that my nose touched the globe. This gave me headaches and neck pain. So it was time for something else. This is my electronic magnifier (which fits in my purse). It can zoom in and out and it can changes contrast. I got this after I finished my first education (social work). So when I started with Healthpsychology and Technology I had a new start with a new device.    

At the same time I got a bigger tool to read at home. I don’t know the word for it in English but you can see it in the picture below. It has a camera directed on the book and the monitor displays it. Here I can also zoom in and out and change contrast. When I touch the screen… it can even read it to me, wauw! 

This was so helpful since my own reading is very slow. By having a tool that reads it out loud for me, I can do a lot more in one day that I was used to.    

Then there is my telescope glasses, very charming, I k now haha. I can actually watch television while sitting comfortably on a couch. Without these glasses I need to sit in front of the television by 1 meter or so to enjoy what I am seeing. Now I can enjoy watching a movie with my boyfriend while actually sitting comfy next to him. 

I also use these glasses during lectures at school in order to see what is on the screen but unfortunately, this doesn't help mee read the text that is on the screen.   

So last but not least, the magnifying software I mentioned earlier. With this softare I can actually use a laptop. Without it I pretty much can’t do anything because the letters would be too small for me to read. This software also has speech on it so I can let it read to me :)

 So now you know how technology can let me get my masters's degree. If you are visually impaired yourself or you know others who are, I hope I could inspire you a bit. If you have any questions you like to ask me, don't be afraid to ask!