Please be our guests at Country Store & Auction , November 6, 2004 from 11:00 to 3:00 . Arrive at 11:00 to enjoy the music of the Easy Street Band with Lee Durley and friends, nibble on some refreshments and see what great things our Tuesday members & volunteers have made for our Crafts & Bake Sale (yes, delectables made by David Lloyd will be for sale). Drawing tickets are a $1.00 donation for a chance to win the grand prize, a 7” widescreen monitor portable DVD layer by Mintek and a stay a Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino (includes a dining gift certificate). Complete the donation envelope, include your check to the BVIC and we will enter you into the drawing. Country Store & Auction is our feature fund raiser for the Center and your support is needed. The auctions and drawings have many prizes and services donated by our wonderful business community. We will be setting up for Country Store & Auction the week prior to the event. There will not be a Tuesday Program on November 2, nor will there be any Lions Meetings scheduled for that week.
Macy’s Benefit Shopping Day is October 28 th . Purchase your $10 ticket from the BVIC (your $10.00 donation goes directly to our Center) and save 10-20% off almost everything. Enjoy special events, product samplings, cosmetics fun and more! Plus, with your ticket purchase you can enter to win a $1000 Macy's Shopping spree. Send your $10.00 check today to the BVIC and we will happily send you your Macy's ticket.
Our Sharing Program placed an additional five more donated CCTVs into good homes, three units were given to BVIC members who did not have the means to purchase a new CCTV. Two others were set up at the Park Lane Residence Library and the Monterey Institute of International Studies where a student who is visually impaired was recently enrolled.
Low Vision Support Group meets the 2nd Monday of the month from 5:00 to 6:30 at the BVIC. Please call to confirm the date and time.
The Tuesday Program Thanksgiving Luncheon will be held on November 23 rd . All guests who plan on attending must RSVP to the Center by November 13 th . This helps Lee immensely with the meal preparation.
We were honored with a $ 15,000 grant from AT& T Pebble Beach Charities. The funds will supplement the salaries of our professional staff who provide direct services to our clients throughout Monterey County .
The term functional vision loss is used often when addressing low vision. But just what is functional vision loss? The following from Lighthouse International and the National Eye Institute summarize the three types of functional vision loss well.
Central vision loss is caused most often by macular degeneration. People have difficulty distinguishing facial features, recognizing faces, or watching television. When reading, parts of letters appear to be missing. Color vision also may be reduced, making it difficult to match socks or to see family photographs.
Overall blur can be cause by cataracts, corneal scars, or diabetes. People may experience clouding of images, increased sensitivity to light (glare), and decreased contrast. Colors may appear faded or changed in hue. Bright lights usually make vision worse. Sunglasses (or solar shields) can reduce glare.
Peripheral (side) vision loss can be caused by glaucoma, stroke, or retinitis Pigmentosa. People may experience difficulty moving around safely in their environment because of a narrowed field of vision and reduced night vision. They may miss steps and curbs, bump into things, and have difficulty reading.
It is possible to have functional vision loss without being legally blind.
Do you know the risk factors for Glaucoma ? They are family history, myopia, low blood pressure, being African- or Hispanic-American, diabetes, and being over 60 years old.
The Glaucoma Foundation recommends that people under 45 years with no risk factors should have an eye exam every fours years. If you are older than 45 and have risk factors you should have an exam every two years. If you have risk factors and are older than 45 year be sure to have your eyes examined yearly. Two year visits are recommended for those older than 45 without risks.
BVIC members who visited our Low Vision Clinic have had the opportunity to use our newest devices including CCTVs, reading machines, and computer programs. A video magnifier, the contemporary name for a CCTV, is the term for an electronic low vision device that utilizes a screen (monitor), mechanic zoom, and a camera for magnification. The camera takes photos of letters, pictures, or objects, and then sends the images to the screen. The mechanic zoom allows users to enlarge the images to appropriate for the individual. The price for a new CCTV with camera and screen ranges from $1,700 to $3,000. There are also video magnifiers where the camera is sold separately and a household TV can be used as the screen. A camera only video magnifier costs about $1,000. Portable video magnifiers can be carried in a pocket or purse and their costs range from $800 to $ 2,000.
Video magnifiers provide a wide range from 3 times to 60 times of magnification. The increased need for stronger magnification for many people make a video magnifier a smart choice. Many individuals find using a video magnifier effectively takes practice and modifications in reading styles, making it beneficial to use it at earlier stages of vision loss.
BVIC has partnered with select vendors who offer quality products as well as good services. Some vendors have provided demo models for our Low Vision Clinic and /or loaners for our clients to to try at home. This partnership has assisted us in having the most current products. We encourage our members to support the BVIC by purchasing their favorite devices through the BVIC or by letting the company you prefer to work with know that you are BVIC members.
Many of us find ourselves indoors under florescent lights more often with the longer days of autumn. Tinted lenses that help block out florescent lights are yellow, amber, and brown, although it can vary with the individual and circumstances. Brown sunshields may be helpful on bright glary days. With our overcast weather or at night, lighter tints of yellow or amber may be helpful.
The office will be closed on November 25 th and November 26 th for
the Thanksgiving Holiday.