Low Vision Computing

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Basic Concepts

When you're low vision, there are plenty of computer-related tasks where a phone, a tablet, or a "normal-sized" screen isn't enough.

The chart below shows different size screens showing the same "eye chart" scaled to different devices, from phones and tablets to regular-sized displays to the biggest screens normally available.

It clearly illustrates how "the bigger the screen, the better" applies for low vision users.

Imagine trying to understand the chart when you can only see a 1/5 x 1/5 portion (4%) at a time when using a screen magnifier set to 5x and scrolling back and forth ...

There are a few obvious and well-known problems with screen magnifiers:

   1. All that scrolling back and forth is time-consuming;

   2. It's very hard to build up a complete and accurate view of an image such as the lowvisioncomputing.com screen size comparison chart;

   3. The constant scolling back-and-forth can induce vertigo;

   4. When editing a document, it makes it hard to see more than one part at a time, or one source/reference document at a time;

   5. When doing job interviews in person, your handicap is obvious;

   6. When doing job interviews online via video calls, again, your handicap is obvious;

   7. You really can't see the "entire picture" when looking at a large photo. Stunning pictures just don't have the same impact when seen through a small viewport a piece at a time.

Why Is Nobody Offering This?

Organizations dealing with low vision folk have been offering "craptops" - small laptops with small screens, where the user is expected to use screen magnifier software to scroll back and forth, and up and down, magnifying a small portion of the screen so that they can read it.

Instead of using a laptop with a screen magnifier to make a small portion of the screen bigger, why not just make the screen 4x-6x bigger?

This is obvious in retrospect, but none of the service organizations have are doing this. Why not? Because with a craptop, if there's something that goes wrong, just return the device for servicing.

With a big screen TV and separate computer, service calls require an in-home visit. It's easier to require the client to adapt to a cruddy laptop and very sub-optimal experience than to provide the first-rate user experience that is possible today.

Getting Started

All you need to get started is a 4k (UHD) big screen TV (42" to 75") and a wireless keyboard and mouse. 50" UHD TVs can be had for $500* or less, and wireless keyboard/mouse combos start at $30*.

Connect the TV to the internet and use the included apps to get back online without having to scroll back and forth. Click on the "Standalone Smart TV" link below to see how it works.

And since "The TV IS the computer", there's not much to do in terms of servicing or maintenance.

(* All prices are in Canadian funds)

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Email: barbra@lowvisioncomputing.com

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