#1 Welcome and Support Groups

Welcome to Yes I Can, a low vision blog with hints to help cope with low vision.

Do you see the two sizes of “A”? As you click on the larger one, the words will get bigger and bigger.

At 92 Millie continued to have a positive attitude. “When I get out of bed in the morning, I can choose to be negative about life or I can choose to be positive about life. I choose to be positive.”

Millie’s low vision support group played a large part in the development of this positive attitude. At group meetings the members share their problems, but more importantly, they share solutions. They often have guest speakers. They also enjoy fun companionship and fellowship by attending various events in the community.

How do you find a low vision support group? Here are some hints:

• Ask your eye care doctor.
• Call your local hospital and ask if a group exists.
• Check the phone directory.
• Google “low vision support groups” and you will discover websites to help find one. Be sure to call first before attending a group to make sure the meeting time and place on the website are correct. www.earsforeyes.info contains over 2,000 groups. www.visionaware.org contains a listing of 133 services which can help with finding a support group.
• If no group exists, remember it only takes two people to start one. Know someone else with low vision? Ask them if they would like to meet once a month (either at home or in a restaurant) to share ideas, or to attend a community gathering together.

Okay. The support group idea is my first hint. Millie liked to help both new members of her support group or strangers who approach her with questions. Who do you know with low vision? Do they need information?

Comments or questions? I will try my best to respond to each one. If you have hints to share or news items you have read about, please send them. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but working together we can help others.