Sixty-eight year old Grace has experienced significant vision loss over the past 6 months. She is having difficulty reading newspapers and mail, and her glasses no longer seem to be working. She finds using a computer impossible.

While she lives alone, Grace's daughter (a supporting mother of three children) cooks and delivers her meals, takes her shopping and does some cleaning.

Grace is a diabetic, and is having difficulty managing her diabetes, particularly using her insulin pen. Grace's ophthalmologist writes to us describing her condition: she has diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.

Meeting an Optometrist

Grace came into the Association and met with Wayne, one of our optometrists, expecting to get new glasses. He assessed her and explained that, due to her particular eye conditions, new glasses wouldn't be of any value. Wayne recommended that a 6 X magnifier might help Grace.

Meeting an Orthoptist

Grace also met with an orthoptist, Mary, who performed a field test. The test confirmed that Grace's field of vision was reduced because of her glaucoma.

Good lighting seemed to improve things for Grace when she was reading. Mary made sure that she had good lighting in the kitchen and at the front entrance to her house where there were steps. She organised for Grace to take home 2 magnifiers. Grace was keen to look into other magnification systems and undergo training to use a computer, so Mary made some referrals.

Meeting a Social Worker

Mary introduced Grace to June, one of our social workers. After hearing about Grace's condition, June determined that Grace was eligible to receive a travel pass, Taxi Users' Subsidy Scheme membership and her pension free of means testing.

Grace felt very isolated and dependant on her daughter. June provided her with an Information Radio Program and a Braille and Talking Book Library application. They made plans for Grace to attend the Confident Living Program and for her daughter to attend the Care for the Carers Group.

Meeting an Occupational Therapist

Our Occupational Therapist Kate met Grace in her home. Grace revealed that she has been chatting with strangers after dialing the wrong numbers on her phone. She had also left the gas on recently. Kate set Grace up with a new large print phone, a large print teledex and a guide for the memory buttons. She also applied bright and bumpy markings to her stove. Grace could now identify ‘on' and ‘off' and some settings in between.

Kate identified a trip hazard - a mat - which Grace agreed to remove. As Grace had had a fall recently, they agreed that Kate would write to her GP for a referral to have rails installed in her bathroom.

Meeting an Orientation and Mobility Instructor

Grace met with Paul, one of our Orientation and Mobility Instructors. Grace hadn't been out on her own for some time, as she had been bumping into people and almost falling up and down stairs and kerbs.

Paul provided Grace with a long cane, and training on how to use it. Her first goal was to travel independently to and from her local shopping centre. A later goal was independent travel to the Association to attend the Confident Living Program.

Since making contact with us, Grace has started using assistive technology equipment, received a cane, joined the Confident Living Program, started doing her own shopping, qualified for financial assistance and accessed Library and Information Services.

There is no one else with an identical story, but there are many similar stories. The journey can take quite some time, and there may be spaces between chapters. We provide our clients with services suited to their circumstances and vision impairment, at a pace suited to each individual.