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Testimonials
Once I Was Blind But Now I Can See
by Jill Wolocko
At 25 years old, Chris Chandler is seeing many things for the first time: text on billboards, raindrops, crumbs on a dinner plate.
"It's amazing," said his mother, Margaret Chandler. "One time, he was staring at his empty plate for the longest time. He thought there was a bug on his plate, but it was a crumb. He had never seen a crumb before!"
The device helping Chris see more in life is the Ocutech VES-Auto-Focus telescope. At 2.5 ounces, the light-weight device works like an auto-focus camera. The battery-powered telescope sends out an infrared beam that bounces off the object of focus and triggers a small motor. The motor activates a computer chip that calculates the distance of the object and focuses the lens.
"I was able to see my mom and dad's faces clearly for the first time." - Chris Chandler
Born with optic nerve hypoplasia, Chris can't see out of his left eye. Tunnel vision in his right eye limits his field of vision. Without the AutoFocus, his vision has been compared to a foggy day. And with it? "I was able to see my mom and dad's faces clearly for the first time," Chris said.
Dr. Erica Farmer of Heart of America Eye Care in Shawnee Mission, Kan., is Chris's doctor. "From the minute I fit him with the AutoFocus, he did well," Dr. Farmer explained. "With his constricted visual field, you wouldn't think that would be the case, but he adapted to it like it was second nature."
In the beginning…
At seven, Chris learned to play the piano by ear and memorized music. He played through his teens while going to a school for the visually impaired.
After graduation, not everyone believed in his plans to play professionally at area nursing homes. The vocational counselor said it was volunteer work. "If people tell you it's not going to happen, you have to go out there and do it on your own," Margaret said.
With a business card and over a dozen regular "gigs," Chris's schedule is now booked. "I helped get his foot in the door, but he's the one with the talent that's getting all the call backs."
Discovering "auto focus"
Chris, who studies piano at the University of Missouri Conservatory, had used a manual focus telescope in the past, but it was difficult to refocus from music to teacher when playing. One day, Margaret's Internet search for "auto focus" and "telescope" resulted in "Ocutech."
Since getting the AutoFocus, Chris sight read his first piece of music. "Before I had the AutoFocus telescope, notes were just fuzzy dots; they didn't mean anything to me, but now they do."
Prior, he traveled with a cane and a sighted guide everywhere he went. "I don't use a sighted guide as often as I did because now I can read the signs on doors and find everything on my own."
When banking, Chris now signs his name neatly in public using the AutoFocus rather than a CCTV at home. Navigating unfamiliar areas--such as the airport--is less stressful as well. He's flown to California, Oregon, Chicago and most recently, Arizona.
Many are impressed how the device has affected other aspects of his life, too. "The first change I noticed after Chris started using the AutoFocus was his speech increasing in speed," said Leon Bugg, his piano instructor. "He began displaying more confidence until finally, he began asserting himself by stating his needs unsolicited: going to the men's room without any assistance, commenting on the room temperature as too hot or cold. This was the most remarkable as he never seemed to think for himself. Chris has become a whole person finally, and it was directly due to his use of the AutoFocus telescope."
"A work environment doesn't have to adapt to him...[with the AutoFocus], he can approach any computer!" - Margaret Chandler, Chris's mom
Dedication pays off…
To supplement his piano playing, Chris had hoped for a data entry job processing medical claims, some of which can be contracted from home. Chris practiced "at-home" tests from the computer. The actual test, however, was on paper that had to be placed under a closed circuit television system (CCTV) for enlargement. Too time consuming, it was difficult to pass the tests. Frustrated and burned out, Chris gave up hope.
After discovering the AutoFocus, his hopes were renewed. With state-funded approval, he traded the CCTV and other visual aids no longer needed for the AutoFocus. His mother said the rehab counselor was ecstatic. "If you factor all the devices he would need to be set up in a work environment versus this device, it is definitely money saved. Those other devices could be added to inventory for others."
In the future, Chris would be able to test the conventional way. "A work environment doesn't have to adapt to him...he can approach any computer!" Margaret said.
"Once I was blind, but now I can see." - Chris Chandler
In the meantime, he is pursuing a musical career on the rise. "We began a journey into bringing notes by sound together in time and space with the printed notes on the lines or spaces that his ears were hearing," Bugg said. "The results have been spectacular!" Chris even hopes to produce a CD later this year. His mom couldn't be more proud. "He does so well with the AutoFocus. The other day, we were sitting on the couch, and he said to me, 'Once I was blind, but now I can see.' It's such a miracle!"
