Cindy Bachofer completed her PhD at Vanderbilt University in 2013 and is currently the Low Vision Consultant at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually impaired. She grew up in Kansas in a big family and learned the importance of staying positive and working hard. She earned high grades—...
Whether a person was born with a visual impairment or developed vision loss later in life, not seeing well in our very ‘visually oriented world’ can impact one’s life in many ways. For seniors, who likely knew normal vision most of their lives, reading small print may be the first...
Whether we were born with a visual impairment or developed vision loss later in life, not seeing well in our very ‘visually oriented world’ can impact one’s life in many ways. For seniors, who likely knew normal vision most of their lives, difficulty reading small print may be the first...
Ocutech, Inc., the developer of state-of-the-art bioptic telescopes for the visually impaired, announces that the Low Vision Service at Lissac Opticians- Rivoli, Paris, France, has become France’s first Authorized Ocutech Prescriber. Established in 1936, Lissac Rivoli is one of Europe’s largest optical centers, with 6 floors and offering specialized services...
Obstacles come into our lives for one of two reasons: to be overcome or to divert you onto a new path. Gary Deburger is the kind of person who faces obstacles with bravery, strength, and the can-do spirit. In 1973 he joined the United States Air Force, working hard to...
No words will ever be able to fully capture the story of Crystal Davis and Ocutech— it’s a story full of twists and turns, of a woman’s resilience, of her strength of heart and fate. Crystal was born with Achromatopsia, an inherited retinal disorder that causes both a lack...
For the longest time, Julie and Jesse Hoskins did not think anything was amiss with their son, Lane, as he grew up in their loving home in Ewing, Virginia. Lane would go to school, see his friends and play video games like all the other kids. He could even go...
Despite his low vision—the sky is his limit. It’s another beautiful weekend in Central Texas for paramotoring enthusiast, Cody Smith. With the wind and the sun on his face he feels like he can do anything— and he can! Powered paramotoring is paragliding with a motor and a propeller which...
For Bill McKenzie, the old proverb “big things come in small packages” could not ring truer. It began when he received his first Ocutech bioptic telescope low vision aid. It was then that he could again enjoy the little things that he used to take for granted like watching TV...
Just six months ago, Alan Vosko experienced what he described as “as close to a miracle as I could ever imagine.” After losing all of his sight in his left eye and much of it in his right, he was again able to see the sunsets and palms trees and...
When Luis Angel Aponte’s daughter was born, there were new realities he and his wife knew they would have to face together. Most of them are common to all new parents, but some were especially relevant to Angel and his wife, Nicole. Born with a visual impairment due to cataracts...
When Terry-Ann Adams first sat down to write her debut novel, Those Who Live In Cages, she herself was still fighting to get out of some of her own. Terry-Ann is no stranger to grit, resilience and bravery; growing up with albinism in South Africa, she is the first to...
Ocutech co-founder and President, Henry Greene, OD, FAAO, has been elected in-coming chair of the Low Vision Division of The Vision Council (sponsor of Vision Expo East and West). His 2-year term begins in late January 2022. “I am honored to have been chosen to lead the Low Vision Division...
When we were getting ready to release the Falcon in late 2018, we tested many different batteries to find one with stable power output (they’re not all of equivalent quality) and that had a belt clip to make them easier to wear. We finally found one that we liked and ordered...
Cheryl Jones didn’t know how to respond after taking her daughter, Leah, to yet another eye doctor to see why her daughter had so much difficulty seeing clearly, when the doctor told them “she’s probably pretending to have such bad eyesight so she can wear cool glasses like her friends.”...
By Henry Greene, OD, FAAO Over the years experienced practitioners tend to ‘go where the action is.’ What this means to me is that we refine our testing methods to do the tests that are most instructive in managing the patient and stop doing tests that don’t tell us much....
Ocutech co-founder and President, Henry Greene, OD, FAAO, has been elected in-coming chair of the Low Vision Division of The Vision Council (sponsor of Vision Expo East and West). His 2-year term begins in late January 2022. “I am honored to have been chosen to lead the Low Vision Division...
I’m frequently asked what makes me consider a bioptic for an individual patient. So, I’ve written a short blog post to describe my approach. There are several factors to explore when considering the appropriateness of an Ocutech bioptic for an individual. Here’s a list of factors you may choose to...
His Ocutech bioptic low vision aid helped make it happen! “My first dream as a kid was to be a US Navy Seal.” Says Aaron Paulk. “I enlisted in the Navy halfway through my senior year in high school in Indiana. Things were going along fine until my physical in...
“If It Weren’t for Ocutech, I Wouldn’t Have My License”— Julius Frierson is Seeing New Possibilities
Julius Frierson shuts the door to his car, parked on a street in the rolling hills of Ventura, California, with a grin— remembering how the license in his wallet and the ability to improve his vision was once just an impossible dream. “I was considered legally blind ever since I...
Ocutech is extremely proud to be part of this event. Australia’s first ever bioptic driving demonstration day--using Ocutech bioptics, was held last week at Wakefield Park, near Goulburn. An estimated 228,000 people in Australia could use this technology to drive for the first time, or continue to hold a driver’s...
One of the great motivators for individuals to pursue bioptics is that they may become eligible to drive. In 2013 the State of North Carolina, my home state, passed its bioptic driving law that would enable some visually impaired individuals to be eligible to obtain a driver’s license. Soon afterward...
Ocutech co-founder and President, Henry Greene, OD, FAAO, has been elected in-coming chair of the Low Vision Division of The Vision Council (sponsor of Vision Expo East and West). His 2-year term begins in late January 2022. “I am honored to have been chosen to lead the Low Vision Division...
“When you really help them, you’ll know,” my professor once told me. And those of us doing low vision certainly know that to be the truth! We live in fear of hearing “I don’t want to hold it so close,” “it’s not as clear as it was before,” “the field of...
Quite often patients will ask what 20/20 means. The explanation of the Snellen visual acuity fraction doesn’t often satisfy their need to understand. A patient once mentioned that with her reduced vision from macular degeneration, the furthest she could see was to the end of her arm. Having just received...
By Henry A Greene, OD, FAAO One of the great motivators for individuals to pursue bioptics is that they may become eligible to drive. In 2013 the State of North Carolina, my home state, passed its bioptic driving law that would enable some visually impaired individuals to be eligible to...
To promote increased interest in Low Vision Rehabilitation, and in collaboration with the Low Vision Section of the American Academy of Optometry (AAO), Ocutech, Inc. initiated its inaugural Low Vision Young Researcher Awards at the 2021 AAO Conference in Boston, MA. Open to senior optometry students, optometrists in low vision...
Low vision rehabilitation is a segment of optometry that lends itself to creativity in case management and approaches to help patients achieve their goals. As practitioners begin to establish a low vision practice, they will have the opportunity to provide value to their patients’ lives by developing solutions to achieve...
Ocutech is thrilled to have as our West-Coast Professional Consultant an individual as expert and as devoted to his profession and to low vision care as is Dr. Gary Asano. The Marshall B Ketchum University School of Optometry (MBKU) Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes alumni who have achieved professional prominence in their field...
Ocutech Low Vision Research Travel Fellowship Three $750 travel grants will be awarded to primary authors of a Low Vision paper or poster abstract selected to be presented at the annual meeting. Requirements: Must be a member of the Academy Must submit a CV One-page essay (500 word max) about...
Dr. Henry Greene is the co-founder of Ocutech, a company that specializes in researching and developing some of the most advanced, most comfortable, and easiest to use eyeglass telescopes available. He has found his work very satisfying because of the way this low vision technology can change the quality of...
Three things I always try to remind myself:
Getting them into your chair- marketing your low vision practice Despite all the awareness surrounding macular degeneration, stem cell transplants, intra-ocular telescopes and bionic eyes, low vision care is still a third cousin. For those who are lucky enough to find their way to a low vision practice, the still...
Link to Article Review and comments by: Henry A. Greene, OD, FAAO Co-founder, President, OCUTECH, Inc. Preface: I expect that you'll think that as a manufacturer of optical bioptic telescopes writing about Digital Head-Mounted Displays, I'm just carping on what might be considered our competition. But, as noted in this...
What follows is an open letter I wrote to the Stargardt’s Disease Facebook page, which I would like to share with everyone. Dear Stargardt Disease (SD) FaceBook members, By Henry A Greene, OD, FAAO Co-founder and President of Ocutech, Inc. Former Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology, University of North...
Dr. Chantal Overvliet, of the Oculus Vision Centre in Windhoek, is the sole optometrist providing low vision care in all of Namibia. After learning of the urgent needs of the 132 children at the country’s only school for the visually impaired, she and her business partner and Low Vision...
OCUTECH, Inc., the worldwide leader in developing advanced bioptic telescopes for the visually impaired, has released a special video called "Open Your World with Low Vision Care" in celebration of Low Vision Awareness and Macular Degeneration month. Over 5 million individuals in the US alone have reduced vision from...
Congratulations to Low Vision specialist, David Lewerenz, OD, FAAO for winning the runner-up tennis trophy! “In preparing for and playing their sport, many athletes have habits or rituals that seem superstitious to others. When playing tennis, I always wear my Ocutech hat. The hat reminds me of the superior design...
This open letter is my response to an article written by Lee Kofman and published on Mamamia.com. Dear Dr. Kofman, I was pleasantly surprised to come across your recent post about parenting your son who has albinism. In my opinion, there aren’t enough people like you sharing these stories which...
Technology designed for self-driving cars is now being applied to help low vision individuals see as close to normal as possible. A project, led by Ocutech, Inc. a developer of vision-enhancing devices for the visually impaired, in collaboration with the engineering firm Image Quality Labs and ESPROS Photonics AG, has...
Ocutech would like to thank Briarna for sharing her story with Stargardt's and how she gained her independence back with dedicated parents, doctors and Ocutech bioptics! I always get asked, “What do you mean you’re blind, you look so normal?” Most people find it difficult to comprehend that you can...
We received this amazing letter from one of Ocutech's favorite prescribers and would like to share it with you. Thank you Dr. Fuhr for your kind words. Falcon is One-of-a-Kind Device My first experience with the new 4x Falcon autofocus bioptic telescope brought tears to my eyes-- tears of joy....
In this interview, we touch on several of aspects of Patrick's life including how his parents raised him to look past his eye condition and embrace the world for everything it has to offer. We discuss wearing assistive devices in public and the anxiety that can go along with it....
Dr. Henry Greene, OD, FAAO, co-founder and president of Ocutech announced the appointment. “We are thrilled to have a clinician as expert, experienced and well respected as Dr. Asano join Ocutech in its mission to enhance the vision and lives of the visually impaired,” said Greene. Dr. Asano, a nationally...
Mr. Bill Feimster, drafted just as he turned 18 to serve in the Philippines during WWII, came back to North Carolina to marry the woman he called “the most beautiful girl in the world.” He became a mechanic and was happily married for 54 years. “He could fix anything and...
There is more to bioptics than just driving in Florida Losing one’s drivers license or never being eligible for one because of reduced vision is undoubtedly a bummer. There are ways to get around without driving yourself, but the independence and enhanced quality of life one gains from being able...
On September 21 and 22, 2018, I was an invited speaker at the 2nd Annual Eastern Mediterranean Council of Optometry (EMCO) meeting in Marrakesh, Morocco. While not quite located on the eastern Mediterranean, their first meeting in Beirut, Lebanon in 2016 certainly was! I want to express my appreciation...
An invited blog contribution by Alan Johnston, OD, FAAO Dr. Alan Johnston is an Australian optometrist and a 1985 low vision diplomate of the American Academy of Optometry. He practices in Melbourne, Australia. Some optical facts: Keplerian telescopes provide additional benefits for bioptic use over Galilean types. Originally designed for...
Referencing article: http://iovs.arvojournals.org/article.aspx?articleid=2335212 by Henry A Greene, OD, FAAO A paper titled The Impact of a Novel Artificial Vision Device (OrCam) on the Quality of Life of Patients with End-Stage Glaucoma by Michael Waisbourd, et.al. appeared in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science in June 2015, Vol. 56 (see link to paper above). New technology...
Tim Goetz Call it "Opportunity by Ocutech" It’s Thanksgiving 2017, and I’m sitting here at work thinking over the last 20 odd years. Yes, I can’t believe it either, but it was actually autumn of 1996 when I received my first bioptic device from Ocutech. I was married, had a...
I thought that this discussion might shed some light on how bioptic telescopes are named and what the names represent. As is well known, bioptic telescopes are available in two optical designs—Galilean and Keplerian. Each has its distinct characteristics and attributes. We prescribe them, of course, to support our patients’...
Quick Note from the Author: Wow! Let me just say that this is one of those stories that stuck with me; a constant reminder that the only things in life that we have control over are the choices we make for ourselves. After reading Karina Fuentes' response to our Personal...
Individuals who are born with a visual impairment such as Albinism or who develop it in their younger years such as Stargardt's Disease are disadvantaged in their ability to maximize their academic, occupational and social lives. Distance vision is our SOCIAL SENSE. We use it to make eye contact, read...
We were so pleased when Michelle agreed to share a bit of her vision story with us and you! She is such an amazing person and we just love her positive attitude! Michelle C. Bush- I'm often asked about my vision, how I'm able to drive and about my "telescopes"...