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Total Resource Guide:
Low vision affects aging persons, those with macular degeneration, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, diabetic retinopathy, and other diseases of the eye. Persons with low-vision are not helped much by a handheld magnifier, at least not for long-term reading. That’s when a large desktop video-magnifier, such as the Telesensory Aladdin Classic, or Optelec Clearview, become invaluable to readers. Some people place theirs next to their computer. That’s a good place for it, because a video-magnifier picks up where magnification software leaves off.
What does one need to be able to take a magnifier to classes, curl up with a good book on the sofa, or read outside in the park? Desktop video-magnifiers can’t go there, but we’ve found new, portable video-magnifiers that go anywhere and have very new assistive features, as described below:
Freedom Vision offers portable magnifiers with an electrical cable, a charger, and batteries for remote locations. One will fit almost anyone’s low-vision needs.
- Quicklook-a small, 8.5 oz. reader about the shape of a candy bar. It magnifies 4.3x and 6x. in B/W, reverse, or color. Users move it back and forth along any text, or use its built-in camera to write. The reusable batteries last 4-7 hours. The Quicklook has many useful features, such as freeze-frame, color choices, and brightness adjustment.
- Quicklook Zoom has all the features of the Quicklook, but rather than having only 1 or 2 magnification levels, this one ranges from 3.5 to18x. It weighs only 6 oz.
- Quicklook Focus has variable magnification that allows users to zoom in and out. It weighs 8.8 ounces. Quicklook Focus has all the same color options.
- Fusion – a 7” color LCD flat panel, magnifies from 6x to 18x; it looks like a small laptop; optional feature allows users to move its camera-mouse apart from the unit.
Opti—this is Freedom Vision’s most versatile line of magnifiers, developed by Ash Technologies, Ltd., The line has many useful components and features, such as choice of text and background colors, brightness, a freeze-frame option, and ability to save up to 10 screens. Depending on the model, Opti works in conjunction with a laptop, desktop, or notebook PC, or plugs into a television set for viewing reading material and photos on a TV screen. The stand-alone camera can read text close up, or zoom out across the room, as far as a blackboard or television. An Opti camera aids students who normally have to sit directly in front of something in order to see it. The Opti mouse is a camera mouse for magnifying anything. Each system is truly portable. Also see the Freedom Vision Web site for the complete line of magnification products and details, or call the toll-free phone number: (800) 961-1334.
Freedom Scientific
Onyx Swing-arm
http://www.freedomscientific.com/products/lv/onyx-sa-product-page.asp
Camera provides magnification up to 100x. It is mounted on a swinging arm for three distinct views: distance, document, and self views. Connects to any NTSC TV.
Beyond Sight, Inc.
http://www.beyondsight.com/Video_Magnifiers.htm
Company produces desktop and portable video-magnifiers, Braille devices, note-takers, and more
Enhanced Vision-Amigo
http://www.enhancedvision.com/products/portable_magnifiers.php
Light weight, easy to use for captions, labels and photos, though 4” screen not ideal for long-term reading
Software programs enlarge text within all programs, as well
as on the Internet. Many also have synthetic speech output
for users who cannot see.)
Zoomtext Magnifier and Reader
by Ai-squared
http://www.aisquared.com/index.cfm
Magnifies up to 36 times, and has built-in, synthetic speech output.
The company also offers a USB flash-drive version so students can transfer magnification capability from home to school, or other computer.
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