Last Friday, I saw blindness advocate Randy Pierce off on the homeward half of his historic 100-mile walk honoring the New Hampshire Association for the Blind. Pierce was walking one mile for each year NHAB has served the blind and visually impaired.
One hundred years is significant. It's an age many baby boomers will live to see and a life term destined to swell the ranks of persons with low vision.
As I watched Randy and his guide dog, Quinn leave on their all-night quest to Concord, what struck me was the vital role organizations such as NHAB will play in the coming decades.
Keeping pace with life expectancy is our growing expectation of maintaining independent lives. The challenge is that such autonomy requires low-vision services -- including assistive technology -- that most people aren't aware of, can't find, or are too proud or stubborn to seek.
While Gen-Xers will grow up deploying digital solutions for every life skill, and will likely ride in driverless cars, today's seniors are more likely to benefit from home visits, training on products that promote independent living, and volunteer drivers -- services NHAB provides.
Check the American Foundation for the Blind website to find associations for the blind in your state or province. Most provide services such as low-vision evaluations and counseling, orientation and mobility training, rehabilitation, peer and family support services, and connections to relevant community agencies.
A key function such agencies provide is an introduction to and training on assistive technology products, including:
- Screen readers
- Desktop video magnifiers
- Braille notetakers and refreshable displays
- OCR scan-and-read solutions.
I'm an NHAB client and serve on its Seacoast Advisory Committee.
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