Digital Age Assistance

It has been reported that the reading speed of people with eye disease that causes damage to their central vision can be boosted by the use of digital tablet devices.

A study using one hundred people with this vision loss  reported that their reading speeds increased by at least 42 words per minute when they  were using a tablet ( set at an 18-point font setting)  compared with reading an actual book or paper.  This showed an increase in reading speed by an average of twelve words a minute. It was the patients with the poorest eye sight in both eyes that  showed the most improvement in speed.

 

It is down to the high  contrast between words and using a  back-lit screen  that accounted for such an increase in reading speed. It was also found that the severity of each individuals vision loss influences the preferred mode for reading,with the worst affected choosing the tablet device and those with better vision sticking to a printed book or newspaper.

It is a hobby and a necessary skill to that is often taken for granted until we start to have difficulties with our sight. At a very low outlay, the lives of people with loss of vision can be significantly assisted and in turn will help them to stay connected with the world.

Eye diseases such as macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy cause  such loss  of central vision. Pre the digital age, many sufferers would use  large cumbersome lighted magnifiers for reading.