Larry Misrok, 81, has a rare autoimmune disease (birdshot chorioretinopathy) that caused inflammation in his eyes, destroying a layer of his retina that left him living with blindness. He has lived with visual impairment since the 1970s, which is no easy feat. In recent years and thanks to technological advancements, Larry has regained some independence.

Today, Misrok is aided by high-tech glasses made by Aira. The spectacles do not restore a person’s vision; they allow Aira employees to see what the user should be seeing; operators guide people with vision loss through the use of a smartphone app. Several other assistive technologies exist that are making the lives of people living with blindness a little or a lot easier.

“Technology can be an extremely powerful tool for someone who is visually impaired if it is used along with a person’s other skills and abilities,” says Ryan Jones, a legally blind program manager with VFO Group, which helps companies become more accessible to users with disabilities. “These types of programs allow equal access to opportunities and careers for people who are visually impaired. They’re in just about every type of profession you can think of—except maybe airline pilot.”

Do you want to live as independently as possible? Please contact SDCB to learn how we can help you achieve that goal.

“A Vision Quest”