Low vision · Electronic magnifiers

Helping You Make the Most of the Vision You Have

When ordinary glasses are no longer enough, it doesn’t mean you have to give up reading, hobbies or the everyday tasks that matter to you.

For people living with reduced vision, the right low-vision aid can make an enormous practical difference.

At Farmilo Optometrist, our Low Vision service is designed around one simple principle:

We can assess what you’re struggling with, understand what you’d like to be able to do and demonstrate different magnification solutions until we find the ones that work best for you.

And if getting to the practice is difficult, we can come to your home.

Don't choose a magnifier from a catalogue. Try it properly first.

What Is Low Vision?

Low vision describes reduced vision that cannot be fully corrected with conventional spectacles or contact lenses and which affects everyday activities.

It can occur as a result of eye conditions including:

The effect is different for everybody. One person may struggle to read letters and bills. Another may be able to read but have difficulty seeing photographs, medication labels or food packaging. Someone else may simply want to continue sewing, painting, model-making or another hobby.

That’s why low-vision care shouldn’t begin with the magnifier.

It should begin with the person using it.

Why a Proper Low Vision Assessment Matters

Sometimes increasing a spectacle prescription alone isn’t enough to provide the vision required for a particular task. That’s where low-vision aids can help. Traditional optical magnifiers can provide additional magnification, while modern electronic video magnifiers work differently.

They use a camera and digital display to enlarge text and images. Depending on the device, you may also be able to adjust:

Some advanced devices can even recognise printed text and read it aloud. But more features don’t automatically make a device better. The right magnifier is the one that helps you do what you want to do.

What Do You Want to See?

This is one of the most important questions we ask. Do you want to:

A device that’s excellent for reading a novel at home might be completely impractical in a supermarket.

A small handheld magnifier that’s ideal for checking a price tag may not be comfortable for reading a newspaper for half an hour.

Your assessment allows us to match the magnification to the task, rather than simply selling you a device.

Read letters and post?
Read books or newspapers?
See food packaging?
Read medication labels?
Look at photographs?
Read restaurant menus?
See prices while shopping?
Continue sewing or knitting?
Paint or draw?
Work on crafts or models?
Use a computer?
Take a magnifier with you when you leave the house?

Try Before You Buy

Buying a magnifier online can be difficult.

Specifications such as 5×, 10× or 15× magnification don’t necessarily tell you how comfortable or useful a device will actually be.

Screen size matters. Working distance matters. Contrast matters. How you hold the device matters. And most importantly, your remaining vision matters. That’s why we believe trying different magnifiers yourself is so important.

You can see the difference rather than trying to imagine it from a brochure or website.

In-Store Low Vision Assessments

You can visit us at Farmilo Optometrist for your Low Vision Assessment. We’ll discuss the situations in which you’re struggling and allow you to try appropriate low-vision aids using real reading material.

You can compare different levels of magnification and different types of equipment before deciding what feels most comfortable. There is no substitute for actually trying the device yourself.

Low Vision Assessments at Home

We also understand that the people who most need low-vision services can sometimes be the people who find it hardest to travel.

That’s why we can also offer home Low Vision Assessments. We’ll bring a selection of suitable magnification options to you so you can try them in your own environment. There are some real advantages to doing this at home. You can try a magnifier:

Rather than asking whether a magnifier works in theory, we can see whether it works in your real life.

With your own books
On your own post
With your medication packaging
At your usual reading chair
Under your own lighting
At the table where you do your hobbies
In the environment where you'll actually use it

Electronic Video Magnifiers

Electronic magnifiers have transformed what’s possible for many people with reduced vision.

Instead of looking through a traditional magnifying lens, a camera captures the material in front of you and displays an enlarged version on a screen.

You can then change the magnification according to the task.

Many devices also allow you to alter contrast or reverse colours — for example, displaying white text on a black background rather than conventional black text on white.

For some people, this can make prolonged reading considerably more comfortable.

Handheld Electronic Magnifiers

Handheld video magnifiers are designed for portability. They can be useful for tasks such as:

Reading restaurant menus
Checking food labels
Reading price tags
Looking at medication packaging
Reading short letters
Viewing photographs
Checking appointments
Reading information while away from home

They’re particularly useful for people who want magnification they can easily carry with them.

Desktop Electronic Magnifiers

If you want to spend longer periods reading at home, a larger desktop magnifier may be more appropriate. These systems provide a much larger screen and can be easier to use for extended tasks such as:

The larger image and more stable viewing position can make them considerably more comfortable for prolonged use.

Reading books
Newspapers
Letters
Bills
Paperwork
Photographs
Writing
Hobbies and crafts

Magnifiers That Can Read to You

Some electronic magnifiers go beyond simply enlarging text. They can capture printed material, recognise the words and read them aloud using text-to-speech technology. For someone who finds prolonged visual reading tiring, this can be particularly useful.

You might visually magnify a short piece of text but ask the device to read a longer document aloud. Technology can therefore supplement your remaining vision rather than relying entirely on magnification.

Eschenbach Low Vision Aids

We demonstrate low-vision products from Eschenbach, a specialist manufacturer with a long history in optical and electronic magnification. Depending on your needs, options can include:

Handheld Video Magnifiers

Portable electronic magnifiers designed for everyday reading tasks at home or while you’re out.

Desktop Video Magnifiers

Larger electronic systems designed for more comfortable extended reading and detailed visual tasks.

Illuminated Magnifiers

Traditional optical magnifiers with integrated illumination can still be extremely effective for many tasks.

Stand and Task Magnifiers

For hobbies and close work, a hands-free or supported magnifier can sometimes be more practical than holding a device. The most technologically advanced option isn’t necessarily the right one. Sometimes a well-chosen illuminated optical magnifier is exactly what’s needed.

HumanWare Low Vision Technology

We also demonstrate equipment from HumanWare, a specialist in assistive technology for people with visual impairment. Its electronic magnification ranges include portable and desktop solutions.

explorē Handheld Magnifiers

The explorē range provides portable electronic magnification for everyday tasks.

Depending on the model, features can include variable magnification and different display modes to help make text and objects easier to see.

They’re designed to provide magnification that can travel with you.

Prodigi

Prodigi systems combine electronic magnification with additional accessibility features.

Depending on the system, this can include the ability to enlarge documents and use text recognition and speech to have printed material read aloud.

This can be particularly useful when conventional visual magnification alone becomes tiring.

Multi-Purpose Electronic Magnification

Some modern systems combine the functions of a magnifier with features normally associated with a tablet or digital device. For the right person, this can reduce the need for several separate pieces of equipment.

For somebody who wants something very simple, however, those additional features may be unnecessary. We’ll help you decide.

Traditional Magnifiers Still Have a Place

Electronic technology is impressive, but it isn’t automatically right for everyone. We can also consider more traditional solutions such as:

Sometimes the simplest solution is the best one. Our role is to help find it.

Low Vision and AMD

Age-related macular degeneration is one of the conditions commonly associated with difficulties with detailed central vision.

If AMD has made reading or other close tasks difficult, simply making the spectacle prescription stronger may not provide enough improvement.

Magnification can make the object or text larger so that you can make better use of the vision you still have.

For someone with AMD, that might mean being able to read a letter, see a photograph, continue a hobby or independently check everyday information again.

Low-vision care isn’t about promising to restore lost vision.

It's about helping you use your remaining vision as effectively as possible.

Who Is a Low Vision Assessment For?

A Low Vision Assessment may be helpful for:

People with age-related macular degeneration
People with glaucoma
People with diabetic eye disease
People with retinal conditions
Anyone with permanently reduced vision
People who struggle to read despite having appropriate glasses
People finding hobbies increasingly difficult
People wanting to maintain greater independence
Family members looking for practical solutions for a relative with reduced vision

Family Members Are Welcome

Low vision doesn’t only affect the person experiencing sight loss. Family members often help with reading post, medication, shopping, appointments and other everyday tasks. You’re welcome to bring somebody with you to your assessment.

For home visits, family members can also be present while we demonstrate the equipment. This can make it easier for everybody to understand how the device works and how it could help.

Choosing the Right Magnifier

We don’t believe the goal should be to sell you the biggest or most expensive electronic magnifier. The goal is to find the device that you will actually use. We’ll consider:

Then you can actually try the options.

The best magnifier isn’t the one with the longest specification list. It’s the one that helps you do what matters to you.

What you want to see
How much magnification you need
How long you want to use it for
Whether it needs to be portable
Your hand control and dexterity
Screen size
Contrast preferences
Lighting
Whether speech would be useful
How comfortable you are with technology
Your budget

Frequently Asked Questions

Will a magnifier improve my eyesight?

A magnifier doesn’t treat the underlying eye condition or restore vision that has been permanently lost. Instead, magnification makes text and objects larger so you can make better use of your remaining vision.

Are electronic magnifiers better than ordinary magnifying glasses?

Not necessarily. Electronic magnifiers can provide greater flexibility, variable magnification and different contrast settings. But for some tasks, a simple optical magnifier may be easier and more convenient. We’ll help you compare them.

Can I try an electronic magnifier before buying one?

Yes. That’s an important part of our service.

Where suitable equipment is available for demonstration, we want you to experience how it works before deciding whether it’s right for you.

Can you visit me at home?

Yes. We can provide Low Vision Assessments at home for people who would prefer to be assessed in their own environment. This also gives you the opportunity to try appropriate equipment with your own reading material, lighting and everyday tasks.

Can my family attend?

Absolutely. Family members or carers are welcome to be involved in the assessment and demonstration.

Do you sell Eschenbach and HumanWare magnifiers?

We can demonstrate and supply appropriate low-vision equipment from specialist manufacturers including Eschenbach and HumanWare. We’ll discuss which products are suitable based on your individual requirements.

Low Vision Assessments in Leicester

If ordinary glasses are no longer giving you enough vision for reading, hobbies or everyday tasks, there may still be ways we can help.

At Farmilo Optometrist, our Low Vision service allows you to try different magnification solutions before deciding what works for you. Visit us in-store, or let us bring suitable options to your home.

We’ll start with what you want to be able to do — and work backwards from there.

Make the most of the vision you have.

Farmilo Optometrist — Leicester

Available in-store or at home

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