Being blind or visually impaired can be pretty difficult, luckily there’s a variety of tools and devices that can make navigating the world a lot easier. Before we get started I’d like to mention that most (if not all) of the items on this list can be obtained through your local center for the blind if you are registered with them. With that out of the way here’s our list of the 5 most useful tools for the blind and visually impaired.
5. Talking Alarm Clocks/Talking Wrist Watches: It’s hard being able to tell the time when you can’t read a normal clock, luckily talking time pieces exist to make life a little easier. The alarm clocks are basically just a giant button that speaks the time and are reasonably priced at about $30. The wrist watches look like a normal wrist watch but the clock face is in large print, so this is a good buy for those who are fully blind as well as those who are legally blind. The wrist watches are also reasonably priced between $20-$60.
4. Large Print Keyboards: For those who are legally blind and don’t know how to touch type, this is probably something you should look into getting. They’re on the cheaper end of things at about $25, so if you do a lot of computer work this is probably worth the investment.
3. Kindle Fire: This may seem like an odd one, but for those who are going blind and still like to read, or just want an affordable tablet with excellent accessibility features then this is great option. The text size is highly adjustable so you can make the text as large as you need. The Kindle Fire has Audible pre-installed for those who are fully blind or just find Audible easier. The 10 inch Kindle Fire normally retails about $150 but frequently goes on sale for $120.
2. Magnifiers: If your vision is worse than a 20/200 (legally blind) then having a magnifier is a must. Non-electronic magnifiers are normally fairly cheap ranging from $13-$25, while electronic magnifiers that can digitally zoom in are a bit more on the pricey side at around $150.
1.Canes: This one’s a no-brainer, but it’s an invaluable tool worth mentioning. If you are legally blind, night blind, or fully blind and don’t have one of these I highly suggest you get one. They’re pretty cheap at about $20 on amazon, or check with your local center for the blind as they normally provide canes to those who need them.
If you think there’s an item that should have been on this list please leave a comment. Tanks for reading.
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