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Support
Services and Principles of Adapting to Vision Loss
by Bill
Gerrey, Rehabilitation Engineer
My name is Bill Gerrey, and I work as an
engineer for the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) at The
Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute. The lab I work for has three
functions. One is to advise about appropriate resources. Another is to seek out
and recommend technologies and/or alternative techniques which could be of
assistance in work or daily living. The third, and the major, mandate is to
design prototype equipment for vocations and daily living tasks.
There are programs and services available,
and I will try to summarize them here. (I list contact information at the
end.)
In general, services for the blind have been
expanded to include those who are "print handicapped" (unable to read print
because of a physical disability). Having "20/200 vision in the better eye,
with correction" is no longer the strict criterion to qualify for these
services.
For example, there are alternative systems by
which we can enjoy newspapers and magazines. In many urban areas, so-called
"closed-circuit radio reading services" have been established which transmit
newspapers and magazines via a special radio set; this radio is free of charge
to anyone who cannot read the paper in print. Likewise, major newspapers are
available, read in synthetic speech, via a touchtone telephone; this service is
called "NewsLine".
Access to books by way of audio tapes and
computer disks can be gotten from several sources:
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Since 1934, the Library of Congress,
through their "National Library Service for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped", offers a wide range of titles on both cassettes and phonograph
records. (To protect copyrights, the playback speed is nonstandard;
consequently, they provide the special machines, on indefinite loan, to play
these special records and tapes.) This library service can be conducted
entirely by mail, free of charge.
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A Princeton-based private organization,
"Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic", whose principle target is students,
has an extensive catalogue of texts on audio tape and on computer disks. They
require an annual membership fee of $50, but from that point on, use of their
library is patterned after the Library of Congress program (including the
necessity to have the aforementioned government-issued player for their
cassettes).
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The Hadley Correspondence School for the
Blind, a long-standing accredited school in Wynnetka, Illinois, offers, free of
charge, college-level courses. Many of the courses can be taken by way of audio
tape, and their credits are accepted by colleges and
universities.
- (Let me restate here that the word "blind"
in names of these organizations reflects the history of their inception, rather
than being a strict definition of their user base nowadays.)
Every state has a "Department of
Rehabilitation" which is supported by both federal and state funds. A wide
range of services is available through them, with some degree of uniformity
state-to-state. They cover the full range of disabilities, physical, mental,
and even alcoholism. Though many of us who have been "clients" have been
critical of their services, it is usually folly to dismiss them as an option.
(They will, as an enrollment criterion, require that any medical condition be
stabilized to the extent possible.)
Enrolling with the local office of your
department of rehabilitation entitles you to a battery of evaluation and
counseling services such as: home teaching of skills to maximize independence,
funding of necessary equipment (especially for employment), and financial
support for job- training programs. Or, if they accept your idea, they may
contribute some start-up money for your own business. (Not to advertise
perfection in the system, there is an old joke reflecting clients' frustration
with it: "What do you get when you cross a rehab counselor with a penguin?" "A
penguin who doesn't return phone calls.")
In defense of clinicians, the science of
medicine is complex; practitioners are not, and haven't the time to become,
aware of options much beyond diagnosis. Therefore, an undue burden of discovery
is sometimes placed on those who could well-use outside help and
encouragement.
There is a strong movement in the disability
community to get away from the "disease model"/"medical model" of disability;
the alternative being proposed is the "functional model". The principle here is
taking inventory of "whatcha got going for yourself," then trying ways (old and
new) to accomplish tasks, achieve goals, and to quote the mission statement of
RERC's, "utilize current research and technology to better the quality of
life".
I work for the RERC whose specialty is to
"better the quality of life for those with blindness and low vision." My
expertise is most appropriate for visual disability in that I am a totally
blind person. But, with my training as a "rehabilitation engineer", I can
assure anyone -- regardless of disability -- that there are alternative ways of
doing most things. Let me illustrate problem solving by making up an
example:
Suppose I am asked, "How can I pour hot
coffee?" If one cannot easily watch the cup to keep from over-filling it, an
audible liquid-level detector (called a "Say When") can be gotten which will
beep at just the right time to stop pouring. If hand movements are so unsteady
as to make pouring the coffee difficult, I would recommend a stationary coffee
pot with a spigot on it. Thus, everything could be placed in a stable position
before flow of the hot coffee is initiated. In my 28-year experience as a
rehabilitation engineer, procedural solutions offer the expedient
pay-off.
In principle: I often ask, "How predictable
are other motor skills -- hand movements and the like?" Then, I would base
adaptations on the best, most predictable, attributes. In other words, my
approach is to find out what is stable, what is predictable, and knowing those
things, how can an adaptive technique or technology help.
Besides services, there are mail-order houses
which sell adaptive equipment. Two that I use, Independent Living Aids, and
LS&S Group, are also listed here.
List of Services through which Recorded
Books and Magazines are Available
Recordings of books have a long history;
Edison proposed this form of "reading" soon after his invention of the
phonograph. Nowadays, access to books by way of audio tapes can be gotten from
several sources.
Restating an important point, the word
"blind" in names of organizations and services reflects the history of their
inception, rather than being a strict definition of their user base nowadays.
In general, services for the blind have been expanded to include anyone who is
"print handicapped" (unable to read print because of a physical disability).
There is usually space on each service's application for your doctor to sign.
But, it is up to you to decide whether or not reading normal printed material
is difficult.
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The Library of Congress, through their
"National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped", offers a
wide range of titles on both cassettes and phonograph records. (To protect
copyrights, the playback speed is nonstandard; consequently, they provide the
special machines, on indefinite loan, to play these special records and tapes.)
This Library service can be conducted entirely by mail, free of
charge.
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The list of available titles is so large
that it is not availableby mail-order; by calling their 800 number, they will
look titles up for you. They do send a bimonthly supplement, called "Talking
Book Topics", on cassette listing new releases of books and
magazines.
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It is important to enroll in this service
first, since most other sources of materials use the Library of Congress format
(for tapes, a slower speed and track format). Although phonographs of altered
speed are also available on request, most services have switched to cassette
tapes instead of records.
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These special playback machines are
issued on indefinite loan (you can keep them forever). When the machine wears
out, or if it needs routine servicing, they send you a replacement, and your
old machine gets recycled after it is repaired.
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In this city, we are lucky to have a
division of that service at our main library. You can go browse this talking
book library in person, or conduct your borrowing entirely by mail.
- San Francisco Library for the Blind
and Physically Disabled (local Library of Congress outlet) Phone: (415)
557-4253
- National Library Service Phone: (800)
952-5666
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Recordings for the Blind and
Dyslexic:
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A Princeton-based private organization,
"Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic", whose principle target is students,
has an extensive catalogue of texts on audio tape and on computer disks. Don't
let their concentration on student materials dissuade you; their catalog
resembles that of any college library, including classic literature. Anyone
qualified as "print handicapped" can enroll.
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They require an annual membership fee of
$50, but from that point on, use of their library is patterned after the
Library of Congress program (including the necessity to have the aforementioned
special player for their cassettes).
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Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic
Phone: (800) 221-4792
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American Printing House for the Blind:
Phone: (502) 895-2405
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The Hadley Correspondence School for the
Blind, a long-standing accredited school in Wynnetka, Illinois, offers, free of
charge, college-level courses. Many of the courses can be taken by way of audio
tape, and their credits are accepted by colleges and
universities.
-
Hadley Correspondence School for the
Blind Phone: (800) 323-4238
General-Interest Magazines:
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Many periodicals are available from the
National Library Service, available via an "on-loan, must- return" basis. Any
such issued by this Library of Congress program must originate in print --
"News Week", "Playboy", etc. However, they issue a catalogue supplement called
"Talking Book Topics" (which you can keep). In this supplement, magazines
sponsored by other than the Library of Congress are listed. Three such
magazines, published outside their system, are listed here; these are not "on
loan", but are yours to keep.
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Choice Magazine Listening (a
general-interest digest): Phone: (516) 883-8280
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The Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the
Blind (general-interest digest, plus want ads): Phone: (212)
242-0263
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The Voice of the Diabetic: Phone:
(573) 875-8911
NewsLine (newspapers and a few magazines via
a toll- free number):
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Although requiring a little practice with
the system, "NewsLine" is a service by which current materials can be "read"
using synthetic (robotic) speech. An enrollment procedure is required;
information on how that is accomplished can be gotten by dialing their 888
number, or by talking to a human operator at the National Federation of the
Blind, (410) 659-9314.
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The synthetic speech number for NewsLine
is (888) 882-1629.
Radio Reading
Services "The International Association of Audio Information
Services"
Purchasing Players with the Library of
Congress Format:
- There are modified tape machines available
through mail-order catalogues. Some people prefer these to the
government-issued ones; some are almost pocket sized, and offer greater
portability, while larger models (being of newer design) turn out to be more
reliable than the free ones. These machines are available from the catalog
houses listed below.
Assistive Device Vendors:
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A host of products which have been
modified, as well as devices made from scratch to address our needs, are
marketed through catalog houses. Two mail-order houses -- catalogs for the
visually impaired -- are listed here:
Other Resources:
- California Department of
Rehabilitation:
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Although there are many districts within
the state, I list here the SF District Office number:
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SF District Office (of Rehab): (415)
904-7100.
- Note: In our California Rehab system,
there are two classes of counselors: (1) Vocational Rehab Counselors, (2) CT's
(counselor/teachers). Counselor Teachers are the ones who can help with
daily-living and mobility issues. I list a few here, ones who can be approached
directly.
- San Francisco: Maria Nguyen
(pronounced "gwen"); (415) 904-7153
- San Mateo: Carolyn Lew; (650)
358-4166
- Berkeley/Oakland: Gary Bragg; (510)
883-6009
- Fremont: Frank Blais; (510)
794-2473
- Pleasant Hill: Marc Pighin; (925)
602-3984
I, at the Smith-Kettlewell RERC, can always
be approached for advice and encouragement. Until then, very best
wishes.
Bill Gerrey
The Rehabilitation Engineering
Research Center (RERC)
The Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute
2318
Fillmore St.
San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 345-2124
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