Warkworth Low Vision Support Group Monday 19 September 1.30pm

For the past three years the Low Vision Support group has met each month at Summerset Retirement Village.

This is a support group for people with low vision, and people who have eye conditions, such as glaucoma and macular degeneration, who may in the future be living with reduced sight. Although this community has come together through shared challenges and losses, there have been many highlights. Some of the group has mastered new technology and found solutions which are very helpful.

Blind Low Vision New Zealand are moving away from their physical audio players to Alexa Smart Speakers, and several people now find these devices very useful on a daily basis.

One of our group, Brian Holmes, has had great success with a Reveal 16 electronic magnifier. This is similar to one now set up in the Warkworth Library. It has a moveable table making it very user friendly for reading books, or magazines.

Brian Holmes and Pam Poole

Brian’s main joy with the Magnifier has been his stamp collecting passion. The magnification goes up to 45X and the unit helps him see coloured detail on his stamps.

We meet the 3rd Monday of each month, 1.30pm. Please join us if you or someone in your family is struggling with low vision.

At our next meeting, Monday 19 September, we are visiting the Warkworth Library and will be joined by Sarah Parsons from Bolinda Borrow Box - suppliers of much of the library’s collection of digital audio. Please join us and learn more about how to access the library collection of audiobooks. You are welcome even if you can see well. Bring your smart phone and library card, and Sarah will show us tips to make enjoying audio books easier.

Read more about using Alexa - here is a review from a 97 year old crime fiction fan.

Recycling Your Contact Lens Packaging

There continue to be exciting developments in ways to reduce packaging waste from contact lenses. Coopervision, one of our contact lens suppliers, have embarked on a program to be waste neutral in terms of packaging on some of their daily contacts.

Here’s how it works. They have measured the total weight of the contact lens, its individual tray and foil and the box. For every box of lenses sold they have partnered with Plastic Bank, an international organisation who collect plastic waste from waterways and the ocean. Plastic is retrieved in Brazil, Egypt, Philippines and Indonesia by local collectors who are paid per weight collected.

Collector of ocean-bound plastic, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The rationale for starting with dailies, is these lenses generate the most waste.

Closer to home you can bring in your packaging, the tray foil and the lens, and we will recycle these for you - we have a large box!

Finally if you want a simpler recycling method at home, place those plastic lens trays inside a milk bottle and put them out in your domestic recycling.

GNZ Seminar: Mental Health and Glaucoma with Dr Simon Skalicky

Glaucoma New Zealand continue their excellent program of education seminars you can watch from home. Education Seminar (via Zoom) on Mental Health and Glaucoma by Dr Simon Skalicky. 8 pm, Thursday 8 September.

Dr Simon Skalicky is a Melbourne-based ophthalmologist who is an internationally recognised clinical researcher in the field of glaucoma. He is particularly interested in evaluating glaucoma management from the perspective of the patient's experience and their quality of life.

Dr SImon Skalicky

I have heard Dr Skalicky speak at Glaucoma Conferences, and he is a gifted communicator.. Put the date in your diary and register your interest before the spaces fill up.

Electronic Magnifier At Warkworth Library

Our Low Vision Support Group has received a kind donation of two electronic magnifiers.

SmartView Magnifier available to try at Warkworth Library

The SmartView Synergy PI23 Video Magnifier is now set up at the Warkworth library. This is a perfect opportunity to try this wonderful technology.

People with low vision need a lot of enlargement, i.e. magnification, but then have the frustration of the limited field of view this creates. Video magnifiers can overcome this with a wide range of settings. The
SmartView Synergy PI23 Video Magnifier device enlarges 3 to 75X. Books, magazines or stamp albums sit below the camera which shows the enlarged view on a 23” LCD screen. Using the table to move the book can take a bit of practice, but once mastered these units can be very helpful.

The second magnifier is a hand held one which is very helpful for reading. It is good to be able to take this unit home and practice and we have it available to loan out.

Like all new technologies both these devices do take time to master and require patience as well as support from family and friends. Feel free to pop by and have a try using these two devices either at the Warkworth Library or taking the magnifier home for your own personal use.

SmartView Electronic Magnifier

McDonald Adams Keeping An Eye On Our Local Environment

Takatu LandCare is a collective of local community conservation groups and volunteers, landowners and residents. They are working hard on pest management on the Takatu peninsular and wider area. We are very excited to help this wonderful project by providing sponsorship for their new Resource Centre, a re-furbished container located at the Matakana Country Park. It is full of traps and all the materials needed to mount a campaign to make our environment more hospitable for many native species. You can follow their updates on Facebook, or contact them directly if you want to be involved.

Ngaire Wallen, Takatu Landcare Community Pest Management Coordinator, and Claire McDonald at the opening event for the Resource Centre.

Claire cutting the ribbon to open the new Resource Centre for Takatu Landcare

Macular Degeneration Online Seminar: Important Information

Macular Degeneration New Zealand is hosting an online seminar this Saturday 18 June 2.30 pm.

The topic is "Living with Low Vision:  Equipment and Useful Techniques for Daily Living". 

The seminar will be presented by Mick Shaw, Rehabilitation Instructor for Blind Low Vision New Zealand on Saturday, 18 June 2022 from 2.30pm - 4pm via Zoom.

Mick will demonstrate practical adaptive daily living equipment and helpful techniques to use them.  He will be looking at colour contrast, benefits of good lighting, magnification, and maximising one's visual techniques.

Macular Degeneration NZ is an organisation dedicated to reducing the incidence and impact of Macular Degeneration in NZ.

Please complete this registration form to register in advance and receive further information.

 For any other information, please call 0800 MACULA (622 852) or email info@mdnz.org.nz.