Kinds of Magnifiers
Magnifying glasses are the most ancient optical devices that were created. As historians would say the Romans were the first to discover the magnifying glass in the first century AD. Thousands of years ago, Egyptians used chips of crystal or a shiny stone called obsidian to view smaller objects. Over the past years, a magnifier was created. The English philosopher Roger Bacon designed the first magnifier during the 13th century. Now, with the advancements in technology, magnifiers have been modified into different styles and design to accommodate the growing needs.
Gone are the days when stone and crystals were the only objects used as reading aids. Today, magnifiers are very sleek and trendy. Here is a description of some common low-vision devices that can help fix common reading difficulties and assist problems that are caused by visual impairments.
Handheld Magnifiers- A handheld magnifier is extremely functional and versatile. With its descriptive name, this kind of magnifier is small and easy to hold. It assists in reading newspapers or books, amount in paper bills, tags on clothes or for general reading. This allows readability through tiny prints. The object behind the lens appears ten times larger than its original size.
Stand Magnifiers- For people who write and read at the same time, stand magnifiers make researching easier. There is no need to hold a magnifying glass with one hand and the pen on the other. This, not only is uncomfortable but really exhausting. With stand magnifiers, read books and magazines while performing writing tasks.
Magnifier Lamps- A magnifier with a lamp provides magnification and a light. This is ideal for people you read books before going to bed. There is no need to give up the joy of reading because of a reading difficulty caused by aging. The combination of light and magnification works the best. Magnifier with lamps makes reaching for reading glasses unnecessary.
Page Magnifiers- Tired of magnifying selected sentences one at a time while reading? Page magnifiers highlight the whole page of a favorite book or magazine at a magnification power of two to four times larger than the original text.
Electronic Reading Aids- These scan texts from printed material like books and translate them into readable computer files that have bigger texts.
Pocket Magnifier- A pocket sized visual aid that can be easily carried in a handbag or briefcase. In some designs it can be folded into its own protective case which makes it perfect for people that are always travelling.
Dome Magnifier- This half-spherical magnifier distributes light well into the surface. Unlike most designs, this device is made from glass and not plastic so it is heavier.
Bar Magnifier- A bar magnifier is ruler like, except that it does not have a measuring scale. Rather it has a magnification capacity. For people running a business and are usually working on long spreadsheets or excel files this magnifier is rested directly on the page and magnifies the line or text at the same time.
Each category of low vision device has different techniques to maximize its use. It is also designed for different tasks. In choosing the appropriate apparatus, consult a professional eye specialist. That trusted person can identify the appropriate vision aids that would best suit the need. A clinic in town or an online company can sell you all these devices. Simply choose one that is more appropriate.