COVID-19 Increasingly Impacting those with Low Vision and Blindness
- New Hadley learning platform assisting those with vision impairments during pandemic -
WINNETKA, Ill. -- It's becoming progressively demanding keeping up with rapidly changing recommendations and rules about staying safe during COVID-19. The scope of the outbreak poses unique challenges to daily life - social distancing, lack of reliable transportation, and local services closed to in-person appointments. Leaving the house while coping with these new circumstances can be stressful for anyone, on the other hand, staying at home can lead to cognitive concerns, including depression, resulting from long-term isolation.
Now imagine these same challenges for the 11 million people in the United States that have some form of age-related macular degeneration. For the blind and low vision community, the shifting restrictions brought about by the pandemic have created added obstacles that can contribute to their already vulnerable circumstances.
As distance learning experts for the past 100 years, Illinois-based Hadley serves those with vision loss by providing services at no cost. Now Hadley has taken a leading approach to reaching an audience amid the pandemic that is often difficult to reach, those facing vision loss.
Following months of development, guided directly by input from individuals with low vision, blindness and other vison impairments, Hadley has entirely overhauled its online educational interface, Hadley.edu., a national online learning resource used by thousands of individuals across the country. Personalized settings, including a wide selection of how-to video and audio workshops, live support from experts, and timely discussion groups on a variety of everyday topics are just a few of the components that make the new Hadley.edu an invaluable tool for visually impaired adults during the pandemic.
It was hard enough for Daryl Pratt, a Vietnam vet and retired Motorola salesman, to identify people's faces due to his advancing macular degeneration. Now, it's even harder for him to recognize others while their faces are partially covered. Similarly, social distancing for those with low vision is impracticable when they are unable to see six feet in front of them, leading many to isolate at home with limited or no contact.
"I've met a lot of folks who were recently diagnosed with macular degeneration," said Pratt. "It can hit you like a Mack truck--they go from having perfect vision to being nearly totally blind so quickly that it is really scary, especially now." Through his own experience with vision loss, Daryl was among those who served an integral role as an advisor and beta user for the recent design and implementation of the new Hadley.edu.
"I'm always looking for ways and things that can help me see better with the little vision I still have," says Daryl. "Fortunately, the new online learning platform contains thousands of things that if you didn't have low vision you would never think about. I was honored to contribute to its development.
Amid the mounting uncertainties during the pandemic, Hadley leadership and experts are available to speak on the challenges facing those with low vision and blindness, as well as the resources available through the new Hadley.edu designed to help bridge the gap to avoid feelings of isolation, loneliness and depression. For more information, or to arrange an interview with Hadley learning experts - or any of our advisors from across the country, please contact: Press@hadley.edu.
Contact: Press@hadley.edu
847.784.2751
/PRNewswire/ -- Sept. 21, 2020/
SOURCE Hadley
