If you have low vision, then it can be challenging to perform daily tasks and get through daily life. Some people with low vision struggle to feel as independent as they want to be. Fortunately, there are technological advancements in the world of vision aids that can help those with low vision to better navigate the world around them.

Check out some of these useful tools that can help you to see more clearly with low vision.

Smartphones

Smartphones may have a lot of features that require vision to use, but the most recent models have new features that are designed to help those with low vision, in particular with the control of the phone itself. There’s a voice guide feature, for example, that can help those with low vision to text, from composing the text message to sending them and then listening to a text-to-speech version of the response.

By using these tools, people with low vision can stay in touch with friends and family using the same communication tools that their loved ones are using. Plus, there may be apps that you can use that can help with other tasks outside of just using the phone. Some apps may require training in using them.

Reading Magnifiers

Magnifiers can help to increase the size of text so that it’s easier for those with low vision to read. A video magnifier uses a camera to project an image onto a screen so it’s larger. There are also stand magnifiers that can be placed over text so that they magnify the words for easier reading. There are also hand-held magnifiers as well as magnifying glasses that are worn close to your eyes.

Which works best depends on your preferences and needs. The video and stand magnifiers can be useful because you don’t have to hold them, but they’re also large and not easily transportable. Glasses or a hand-held magnifier have to be worn or held, but can be more easily carried with you.

Telescopes

Telescopes aren’t just for looking at the night sky. They can help those with low vision to see farther away. The farther away you need to see, the larger the device, however, there are handheld telescopes available that can handle most distance seeing needs at 2x to 10x magnification.

Software for Dictation

If you need to type, there is dictation software available that can convert your speech into text. Dictation software can handle punctuation and formatting as well, so you can type up everything from short messages to academic dissertations.

Electronic Glasses

Electronic glasses may be an option for those who have a bit of extra money. They’re on the expensive side and because they’re new, may be considered experimental. In order to qualify, you’d need to have an evaluation first. There are electronic glasses that connect with smartphone apps as well as others that instead connect to synapses in the eyes’ photoreceptors to stimulate activity there.

Anti-Glare Glasses

Anti-glare glasses look like regular glasses but their lenses are tinted to filter out the glare from light. There are a variety of different anti-glare glasses with different tints and different absorptive filters. This means that you may have to try a few different kinds of anti-glare glasses before you find ones that are right for you. If the first pair you try doesn’t help, that may just mean that that combination of tint and filters isn’t the right one for your needs.