Insightful Tips

Gift Ideas For People With Low Vision

During the meeting of the Cleveland MVRF Support Sight Visionaries, one of the daughters of a mother with macular degeneration told a story.  She explained that last Christmas, as in all of the ones before, she gave her mother a family portrait.  However, last Christmas was not like the others because her mother's sight was greatly diminished by macular degeneration.  Her mother opened the usual gift, lifted the top, looked in the box and asked, "What is it?"  The whole family was distraught. 

Staff from the City of Beachwood, OH, helped create this gift list for those with macular degeneration.

• Lighted flashlight key chain
• Carabiner - originally used in rock climbing; great for clipping keys to it and then clipping the carabiner to a purse or belt loop
• Large print calendars
• Large print playing cards
• Large print bingo cards
• Large print address book
• Large print outdoor thermometer
• 20/20 pens
• LED flashlight
• Large Scrabble set
• Local restaurant gift certificates (especially if they deliver)
• "Reader's Digest" large print subscription
• Movie theater passes/gift certificates
• A home-made stationery kit with plain white pads of paper, some with thick black lines
• A talking clock with extra batteries
• A talking wrist watch with extra batteries
• A new wallet with distinct compartments so people will be able to find money, medical information, charge cards, etc.
• A children's (large button) tape recorder for books-on-tape, with extra batteries
• A large button phone
• A large button TV remote
• A new family directory with everyone's home, work, and cell phone numbers in large print so people can call everyone when needed
• A talking picture frame (a photography store sold one where you can record a greeting)
• Video gift certificates
• Family contributions to a large screen TV
• A selection of greeting cards in envelopes according to what they are because one cannot read them well in the store.