Glaucoma Research Foundation

The Apple iPhone: High Tech for Low Vision

Article by Paul Otterness, M.A. Counseling Psychology, MFTi

Every three months I see my congenital glaucoma specialist, Andrew Iwach, MD, hoping to save what is left of the sight in my one remaining eye. When he saw the large type of the book I was reading via the “Kindle” app on my iPhone, he was excited about the amazing potential the iPhone held for people with low vision.

Blind in my left eye since soon after birth from congenital glaucoma, I’ve never had an easy time reading. In elementary school I read from big print books under very bright lights and learned to type for eye-hand coordination. Today at age 62, technology and big print are still valued assets.

The big news for people with low vision is that high tech, big print, voice control, and screen reading are brought together in a single handheld device: the Apple iPhone — a fully functioning computer with high-resolution screen and multiple magnification capabilities, small enough to carry in my pocket.

The iPhone 3GS, the latest version, offers new accessibility features:

• Zoom allows instant enlargement of the home screen or any application, so I can read anything on my iPhone

• Voice Control allows you to just say the name of the person you want to call, e.g. “call Thomas Brunner, work” to make a phone call. I can also voice command the built-in iPod by saying, for example, “Play Bob Dylan” and it will play all Dylan’s songs.

• VoiceOver is a gesture-based screen reader that, when turned on, allows even a totally blind person to use the iPhone since it will read out loud anything on the screen below the user’s finger. Tap once to hear the control button name or text section. Tap twice, and the application is opened or action taken.

VoiceOver along with Voice Command, Zoom, voice recorder and more, make the iPhone 3GS the state-of-the-art communications device for people with low vision.

Since 1989 I have been a “Mac evangelist” helping others make the move to Apple’s superior technology. If you would like my help, at no charge of course, please feel free to drop me an email at macotter@me.com.

-Paul Otterness

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Editor’s note: GRF does not endorse specific products, but we’re excited about great new technology to help people with low vision. If you are using an innovative technology for low vision that you want to recommend to others, please let us know! Email us: gleams@glaucoma.org

This article appeared in the September 2009 issue of Gleams. Subscribe