Vision
Continued from Page 10
not recover any more of her
vision.
"I don’t think I'll ever forget
the day my intern and
ophthamologist told me I would
have to start learning to live the
life of the blind.”
At this point Vision Nor
thwest stepped in. ‘‘The
Volunteer Braille group con
tacted Vision Northwest, who
contacted me. They saved my
sanity. I think if I hadn't helped
it would have been much worse
than it was.” Turner said.
When two women from
Volunteer Braille services came
to her house, Turner had her
first contact with other visually
impaired people.
“All you do is call and ask
them," Turner said. “They'll
mark your stove, and match
your clothes."
Turner’s husband’s reaction
to her visual impairment also
was traumatic at first. "I just felt
terrible. I cried and cried and
cried.” Fred Turner said.
"They didn’t take all of it.
thank God,” he added.
"1 helped every way I could.
It was her mostly, bless her
heart," he said.
The Turners' social life was
affected "very, very sharply."
by the ordeal. "We just couldn’t
accept a lot of invitations,”
Turner said. But later she began
reaching out to others. "We've
gone out for Christmas and
Faster,” Turner said. "I’ve
dared to go out to a resturaunt.
which was something I was a
little bit leary of before." Turner
said.
Now Turner had adapted so
much that her husband doesn't
always remember she is blind.
"He still will say. 'Oh what a
beautiful blue sky.’ " she said.
As a result of her handicap,
she began to reach out to others
Sylvia Turner’s family and
friends became important "It's
been inconvenient at times, but
my inconvenience comes se
cond,” Fred Turner said.
“Without her I don’t know what
would have happened.”
Sylvia Turner wishes all suc
cess for the Fugene group. “1
look forward to going to group
meetings." she said. "We
always feel better when we
leave," she added.
Ross Harris. 85. of Portland,
has ocular hypertension, which
damages the tiny blood vessels
leading to the eye. Hyperten
sion causes the blood vessels to
fill until they may burst. Should
this happen. Ilurris would go
completely blind.
Harris lost the vision in his
left eye. but he can see with his
right
And the outlook for the
future? "The Doctor doesn't
seem to know." Harris said. "1
have to keep both the hyperten
sion and the ocular hyperten
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sion under control.” Harris
said. "I have been a glaucoma
suspect for a number of years,"
he added.
Ocular hypertension creates
additional pressure on the
blood vessels leading ter the eye,
Harris said. "It goes up and
down quite a bit," he said
The situation has not really
affected his social life, said Har
ris, who has no family. Harris
retired seven years ago from his
job selling insurance in
Portland. Since his vision is
somewhat blurred he cannot
drive, but he dews use; public
transportation.
Harris believes Vision Nor
thwest is important because it
provides an invaluable service.
"It (the organization) pro
vides a needed service. In (the
event) that I might lose my
sight, they would provide help
and assistance." Harris said. He
added Vision Northwest has
started a computer club "They
are in the process of developing
things tli.it can lie used by par
tially blind or completely blind
people,” Harris said.
A voice-activated scanner
would scan the type and read it
aloud to the visually impaired
person. Harris said In addition,
the scanner would "repeat
words, letters and sentences as
well as check errors." Harris
said.
"It (the scanner) would open
an entirely new Hold for jobs in
computers in a different way
than the past.” Harris said. It is
only a matter of time liefore
these products will be sold on
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According to Executive Direc
tor of Vision Northwest Joanne
Lucas, the system is called DEC
talk It utilizes digital equip
ment with eight different
voices. The voice-activated pro
gram for review is called
Freedom-1. and is put out hy In
terface Systems in Portland.
Lucas said.
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