THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, November 16, 1994 TAG: 9411150136
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 11 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL REED, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
Little things make life difficult for the visually impaired.
Take, for instance, the print on a checkbook, directions on a medicine bottle, numbers on a telephone key pad or dial, and the numerals on a watch, a clock or oven timer.
That's why Virginia Beach ophthalmologist Alan L. Wagner and his staff have organized the second annual VIP (Visually Impaired People) Gift Fair Saturday.
The program is open from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and will be held at the Retina & Vitreous Center, 968 First Colonial Road.
For 14,143 legally blind and 35,057 severely sight-impaired Virginians, being unable to see the details of a video movie, discern the suits on a deck of cards or pen a letter on paper can range from minor annoyances to major obstacles.
Trying to adjust lifestyles around the obstacles without available and sometimes simple help can create unnecessary frustration, says Carolyn H. Smith, a registered nurse and one of the organizers of the fair.
Smith, who is gradually losing her sight, and Erica A. Hacker, a low-vision specialist, will walk and talk visitors through the exhibits that will be on display.
``We're not trying to sell anything,'' said Smith. ``We're just trying to make life easier for the visually impaired.''
Smith, Hacker and fellow staff members will organize the ophthalmologist's offices into typical household divisions - a living room, dining room, kitchen, library and bathroom. Each room will be equipped with practical and specialized exhibits that could ease the daily routine for sight-impaired people.
``Nobody knows the little things that can help,'' said Smith, a nursing instructor at DePaul Medical Center before failing eyesight forced her to undergo retraining as a low-vision consultant. ``Like putting a white dish in a blue mat, or a battery-operated gizmo to keep you from spilling over a cup of coffee or a pill dispenser to make sure you get the proper medication.''
One popular item for the visually impaired is what Smith calls ``descriptive video.'' Narration is added to regular movies and entertainment videos to describe action or events that could not be discerned readily through normal dialogue.
A case in point is an enhanced video tape of the popular movie ``Top Gun,'' which is rife with action scenes that are described by an off-camera voice.
Other exhibits Smith and Hacker will offer include playing cards, phone key pads and desktop calculators with enlarged numbers; talking calculators, watches and clocks; pens equipped with lights; needle-threading devices; writing templates and magnifying glasses of all varieties; liquid measure indicators and cooking aids. by CNB