"People just love (the Telesensory CCTVs)"
The Low Vision Services of Kentucky was conceived in 1987, when a group of retina specialists (ophthalmologists) and low vision specialists realized that there was a growing need for such services in the area. The group began offering on-site demonstrations to the visually impaired, working with Marcus Baxter as a reseller of Telesensory products. Since that time, the group has had a steady increase in video magnifier sales. Word-of-mouth and patient satisfaction have helped the program to remain a success.
The Aladdin Sunshine, Aladdin Rainbow, and other Telesensory CCTVs are displayed in the waiting room, which gives people an opportunity for hands-on tinkering. "People come in from the largest cities in Kentucky and they've never seen a CCTV before," says Jeanne Van Arsdall, a low vision specialist with the group. "Having (the products) in the waiting room is very helpful."
"People just love (the Telesensory CCTVs)," she adds. "Patients are telling me all the time, ‘"It changed my life, I can't live without it’." The powerful magnification, sharp black and white contrast and full color display help many patients to read things that they hadn’t been able to see in detail for years. Van Arsdall notes that when patients need their units adjusted, they are reluctant to give them up, even for a day. One man who recently purchased an Aladdin Classic says, "I wouldn’t be without one."
Like Telesensory, the Low Vision Services of Kentucky honors a commitment to providing quality service to its patrons. Because most of its patients are afflicted with some form of macular degeneration, they recently joined forces with the AMD Macular Vision Research Foundation to offer bi-annual patient education seminars. The seminars include a discussion of symptoms, diagnosis and how to cope with the disease. Low vision solutions such as Telesensory video magnifiers are also presented to patients who want to know what resources are available to them. Van Arsdall adds, "Marcus Baxter has been a great help to us. He is very knowledgeable about Telesensory products, and he has a great rapport with the patients."
The group strives to educate its patients that there are many resources available to those who have been diagnosed with some form of low vision. Patients can often be helped by contacting the KY Dept of the Blind, which often buys CCTVs for people that are working or going back to school. Van Arsdall adds, "I even had another doctor come in who was diagnosed with a visual impairment, and he said that being able to read again gave him a new reason to live." The Telesensory products have helped a variety of people, in all stages of life.
"I know teachers who take the Olympia from class to class," says Van Arsdall. "Others have an Aladdin in the classroom for their own use, and often times their students will end up using the machines, as well." Van Arsdall does not leave out the women who want to be able to do their nails, or the bookkeepers who are able to read their ledger work.
A patient bought an Aladdin Rainbow so she could see the colors in the beads she was using to make jewelry. Another woman uses her Aladdin to design her own greeting cards. "I’ve been told that the Rainbow really helps her to see what she is embossing," Van Arsdall notes. She adds that the most interesting use of an Aladdin video magnifier was for checking I.D.s when people purchased beer at his fish and tackle store. "If this man hadn’t been able to see the I.D.s with the help of his CCTV, he would have been out of work," she exclaims. The state of Kentucky purchased an Aladdin Classic, to help the man keep his business.
The Low Vision Services of Kentucky has recently expanded their line of Telesensory magnifiers, adding Aladdin Sunshine and the portable Pico to their showroom. A patient who recently bought an Aladdin Sunshine is excited about using the unit to view her travel brochures before going on vacation. "The Sunshine’s color and auto focus allow me do my homework and learn about the place I am going to visit," the woman says. She went on to order the handheld Pico, a color video magnifier that she could slip into her purse and take with her on trips. Van Arsdall says that she has spoken with many patients over the phone who ended up ordering a Pico, sight unseen. "I think it will be a really popular item," she says, "because it’s small and powerful, and the pricing is really affordable."