The technical definition of “partially sighted” is that one’s best corrected visual acuity is no better than 20/70 in either eye, but better than mere perception of light.

There are machines that use various approaches to raising and lowering plastic or metal pins through a grid to create braille characters. Some systems are only for use with a computer while others have the functions of a laptop computer built in. The amount of braille characters displayed varies.

A Desktop publishing software package developed and marketed by Adobe is commonly used for final layout of major documents. PageMaker files are not usable by braille translation software in their original form. The file must be exported through some means such as OCR, its internal “Story Board”, or through the “Save As” function. Each of […]

These are skills a blind person can be trained to develop. When practiced, they allow an individual to travel independently with basic and advanced white cane techniques, use public transportation, use sensory cues to orient themselves, and use sound localization and basic spatial concepts.

This is one of several ways to present print information in alternate format for someone who is visually impaired or blind. It involves one person reading and explaining the words and graphics that appear in print to another person. It could be done in person face-to-face or over the telephone.

The art or profession of examining the eye for defects and faults of refraction and prescribing correctional lenses or exercises.

An optometrist is a doctor licensed to practice optometry. This professional specializes in determining the need for glasses and screens the patient for eye abnormalities. The optometry education consists of two to four years of college and four years in an optometry college. The optometrist treats visual problems with glasses and contact lenses and may […]

Simply, a maker of or dealer in optical items and instruments; a person who reads prescriptions for visual correction, orders lenses, and dispenses eyeglasses and contact lenses. See also Ophthalmologist and Optometrist. An optician is a healthcare provider certified or licensed to fill, fit, adapt and dispense spectacles, eyeglasses, contact lenses and other optical devices […]

The computerized process of identifying patterns of pixels in an electronic file as letters or other parts of language such as punctuation. Most advanced software performing this task can also maintain the format of the original page, if desired, through insertion of various codes in the “Save” or “Save As” process. OCR with any software […]

Of or involving light or optics; relating to or using sight; of or relating to or resembling the eye.