[Nfb-science] looking for advice from scientists with declining vision

[aerospace1028 at hotmail.com]

Hello Amy,
I agree, adapting to vision loss is more difficult after you have finished all of your schooling.  I had the advantage of slowly declining vision since my earliest childhood.  Adapting to compensate for what I can no longer see is almost second-nature for me.

Others have already provided a good list of strategies for accessing information in different situations (recording lectures, tactile graphics, &C.).  Generically, I would say to try a variety of techniques: if one method doesn't work in a situation, try another.  And even overlap methods when appropriate to get the most benefit.  Ultimately, it's a matter of what works best for you.

Once you get used to treating obstacles as exercises in extremely creative problem-solving, you might find it fun thinking outside of the box.  As an engineering student, I'd run into situations where the 3-D geometry of a wing and/or how it deforms under load was difficult to describe in words or present Ina set of 2-D raise-line drawings.  I quickly learned to carry Silly-Putty in my backpack.  When needed, I could have someone quickly mold the putty so I could have a clear idea of what the shape or deformation looked like.  If you find yourself dealing with what I consider topographical-style graphs (as I imagine isotherms would commonly be plotted), a similar technique would allow you to get an idea of slopes, maxima, minima and saddle-points relatively quickly.  Even if your colleagues feel silly at first, they'll quickly learn how much more fun it is working with Silly-Putty or Play Dough then just looking at curves on a screen.

It took time and practice to learn all the tools and techniques of your discipline when you had vision.  It will take practice to get good at adapting to having less vision.  Like learning any other new skill, it should get easier over time.

I hope any of that helps,
--Paul