State provides helpful resources for the visually impaired

The N.C. Department of Health & Human Services' Division of Services to the Blind presented "Services For The Visually Handicapped" last Tuesday at Moss Memorial Library in Hayesville.
This statewide program has established medical eye care and living services programs for visually impaired persons.

Their mission, in short, is threefold:

+ Prevent (Teach preventive steps that may be taken where possible.)

+ Rehabilitate (Offer medical care to improve sight when possible.)

+ Facilitate (Improve daily challenges for the visually impaired for better life quality.)

Many of us are aware of available services, perhaps through reading or hearing about them.

However, many visually impaired people are either new to North Carolina or perhaps too isolated, especially if they live alone, to have heard about the availability of help for their visual impairments.
Susan Hart, Social Worker for the Blind, explained that Medical Eye Care assistance can in some cases be based on income levels. Some services, such as eye surgery or medicines, will need to be paid for in part or in whole by the individual, depending upon income. The Blind Services Division also, however, offers many free, non-income related services.

Individual Living Services care is provided regardless of income level - to help the visually impaired fulfill daily tasks usually taken for granted by non-visually impaired people.

For example, they will send an Individual Living Aide into your home (at no fee) to evaluate your situation: Is it safe for you in your home environment? Do you have family capable of assisting you with needs such as transportion or shopping? Do you need to be made aware of all the community services available in your state?

Individual Living Services offers visual evaluation. Then, appropriate visual aids to correct vision as much as possible will be provided as well.

They will also come to give indepth training within your home ranging from safe ways to cut up vegetables to budgeting and check writing.

Other free assistance provided by the Individual Living Services section includes orientation and mobility training.

They will send mobility instructors to your home, who teach you various aids ranging from how to select the right size walking cane to special safety technique instructions. They also give referrals to specialists and rehabilitative centers.

Judith Harris, District Rehabilitator Supervisor, spoke on the wide range of workrelated assistance offered to state residents.

They arrange vocational experience for students. They also help visually impaired persons from age 14 and up to achieve work-related goals, whether to obtain a job or to help a newly visually impaired person achieve the capability to maintain their employment.

The help offered includes such things as software training; one-on-one training in confidence gaining skills; resume development and job placement assistance. A staff member will even go and speak to prospective employers.

Assistance for diabetes related visual problems is also offered. Again, there are no fees to the clients, however, if medical treatment is called for, then budget guidelines may come into play.
Carole Williams, Deaf/Blind Coordinator, discussed among other topics some common causes of blindness, including Diabetic Retinopathy, which is the leading cause of blindness in the U.S.
Retinitis Pigmentosa, which has definite hereditary tendency, is a degeneration of the rod and cone layer of the retina. A chief sympton is night blindness that increases as the rods along the peripheral retinal areas are more affected. Another effect is tunnel vision. Retinitis Pigmentosa begins in youth and may result in total blindness by the mid-forties.

Cataracts may occur at any life stage but mostly occur with aging. The clouding of the eye's lens blocks out light needed for good vision. Today, Cataracts are normally treated with outpatient
surgery, which usually includes the insertion of intraocular lenses.

Macular Degeneration is characterized by damage to or deterioration of the retina's macula, the eye's area of clearest vision. Macular Degeneration causes loss of central vision. Most persons will retain peripheral vision with which to navigate and may benefit from low vision aids.

Glaucoma initially affects peripheral vision and results from buildup of fluid pressure inside the eye in adults. Its onset may be hard to detect, since Glaucoma is usually painless, and vision loss is gradual. When diagnosed and treated, vision loss can be halted, although lost vision cannot be restored.

Acute Glaucoma, less common, presents with severe pain and requires immediate treatment to prevent blindness.

Williams described other causes of bindness and even brought in goggles that can be used to simulate the different eye conditions.

Charlie St. Clair, Assistant Technology Consultant, covers 23 North Carolina counties. He teaches and helps visually impaired clients with information access.

St. Clair said that, normally, about 85% to 90% of all information received from the world around us comes through our eyes. With impaired eyesight, information access becomes difficult. However, much help is available.

St. Clair gave a lively and informative demonstration of some of the newest technology for visually impaired computer users. He demonstrated software such as ZoomText that magnifies computer screen, icons and text.

You can change cursor size and color and cause your computer desktop appearance to be of a higher contrast, making it easier to read. You can experiment with extra large font sizes. He recommends obtaining the largest screen monitor possible.

The Division of Services to the Blind group emphasized in their presentation the generosity of the Lions Club over the years. Since just after WWI, the Lions Club has helped at state and government levels to set up visual aid programs.

The Lions Club is and has been one of the greatest financial aid resources for the visually impaired in North Carolina. They also offer a program wherein you can learn to help visually impaired persons and even get paid for it in some cases.

The Lions Club sometimes provide necessary eye surgeries and medicines or other eye treatments.

In North Carolina, The Lions Club sponsors the annual Camp Dogwood trip for the visually impaired. This is one week of assisted fun including swimming, horseback riding, fishing, bowling and more, plus skills training for $85 per attendee (includes travel and food). Camp Dogwood is on Lake Norman near Charlotte.

The Lions Club sponsors an annual fishing tournament at the Outer Banks each October. Fifteen persons from seven counties are going this year. Susan Hart travels and stays with trip participants, helping them all along the way.

The N.C. Health and Human Resources' Division of Services to the Blind holds a monthly support group for the visually impaired (and caregivers or other interested parties). The support group meets the first Thursday in each month at 10:30 a.m. at Peachtree Baptist Church in Peachtree.
In Hayesville, The Moss Memorial Library is a valuable visual impairment assistance resource. In the library you will be able to use their "superlarge" monitor as well as the latest enlargement software.

You can obtain more information and receive help and guidance at the Clay County Department of Social Services in Hayesville. You may call Susan Hart at 828-349-2527. Or you may call the Asheville District Offices at 800-4221881.