Having been born with septo-optic dysplasia and later developing nystagmus, Ava can only see large objects approximately three feet in front of her, with no details. While there is currently no treatment to improve her vision, she proves that through a positive outlook, the possibilities are endless.

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Connie Gibson is proud of her 35 years in the education field, including 25 as a teacher. For the past ten years, Gibson has served as principal of Lemay Elementary School in Van Nuys, California. In fact, in 1999 she was named Principal of the Year in the Los Angeles School System. However, as a result of diabetes, Gibson developed diabetic retinopathy, an eye condition that causes new blood vessels to form and damage the retina. Complications resulting from laser surgery caused sudden vision loss, and Gibson, age 59, is now legally blind. “I think I’m the only blind principal in Los Angeles,” she says. Gibson says two things have helped her to continue working and functioning despite her disability: the staff at Lemay Elementary School and technology that has allowed her to continue to read. Her investigation of available vision aids led her to the ClearView line of video magnifiers. “This is a wonderful tool,” says Gibson, who purchased a unit for use at home after being impressed with it at work. She also purchased magnification software for use with her computer. “It allows you to be independent, and that’s what you want when your vision is impaired. “I would tell anyone with impaired vision to get one of these, whether it’s for reading or for a hobby,” she says. “Why give up something you love?”

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You don’t have to be old to develop macular degeneration. Amy Bower, PhD, found that out when she was 24 and attending graduate school at the University of Rhode Island. At that point in time, Bower was already committed to a career in oceanography. “At first I lost my night vision, but soon I started losing my central vision as well,” says Bower, now 41. While continuing her studies, she initially relied on a variety of vision aids, including eyeglasses with built-in magnifiers. But even as she began her position as a research scientist in physical oceanography at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Bower’s vision deteriorated. She turned to the ClearView video magnifier—a new product at the time. She now has one for work and one for use at home. “My work involves reading, analyzing graphics and publishing in professional journals,” says Bower, who is now tenured and is the senior female scientist in physical oceanography, a field concerned with the ocean’s role in climate as well as the physics of ocean currents. Her work also includes travel for weeks at a time to places like the Indian Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic. “We have lab benches and desks on board, and I take my ClearView unit along,” says Bower, whose intelligence and commitment to her chosen field has earned the respect of her colleagues. Could she accomplish her work without the ClearView unit? “I suppose I could hire readers, but a lot of what I do involves reading graphics, which you have to analyze yourself,” she notes. “Besides, I value my independence.”

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When L. B. Patrick began working as an aircraft design engineer about 50 years ago, the tools of the trade included a pencil, paper and a slide rule. Today he relies on a computer and, because of vision problems he never could have predicted, a ClearView video magnifier. Scarring in one eye had caused Patrick to lose partial vision, but he was able to adjust. “Then about a year ago I developed macular degeneration in the other eye,” he says. “I couldn’t read, and I certainly couldn’t make my drawings. I quickly found out that normal magnifiers didn’t work.” Patrick, now Vice President of Engineering at Duke’s Inc., a Northbridge, California, firm that designs aircraft components, was not willing to give up his livelihood. He decided to participate in a clinical trial at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) to test an experimental medication for macular degeneration. While at UCLA, he saw some of the technology available to people with vision impairments. “When I saw the ClearView, I said that’s what I need,” Patrick recalls. He now has one for the office and one for home, and he hasn’t missed a beat. “I need to review a lot of specifications and read e-mail, in addition to creating drawings. It’s wonderful; it’s kept me working.” At age 75, Patrick has friends and colleagues who have developed vision problems. “I tell them, ‘Come take a look at this machine. You’ll be sold.’”

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Len Leone depends on his vision, but the talented painter and illustrator of book covers for Jaws, The Exorcist, Catcher in the Rye and Valley of the Dolls ran into unfortunate problems. First an embolism caused him to lose most of the vision in one eye, and then routine cataract surgery went terribly wrong. Instead of correcting his vision, it left Leone blind in his “good” eye. “I was so depressed,” recalls the 77-year-old New York state resident. But at The Lighthouse, an organization in New York City dedicated to assisting individuals with impaired vision, Leone tried out the available technology, including the Spectrum video magnifier (the ClearView’s predecessor), which he decided to purchase. While the unit sat in his studio unused for some time, Leone realized he needed to go on painting. “The next thing I knew, I was using the machine to paint,” he says. “My wife thinks the new work is some of the best ever.” A one-man show at the Society of Illustrators in New York followed, as have invitations for other exhibitions of his work. “This machine has become my eyes,” says Leone, whose early career included working on comics such as Captain Marvel and Captain Midnight and serving as graphic designer for True magazine. “Not only have I continued painting and illustrating, but I’ve written a novel. After the pages come out of the printer, I use the video magnifier to review the text.” Leone showed his appreciation to Optelec by donating several of his paintings, which are on display at the company’s corporate office. And he recently upgraded to a ClearView unit. “This technology is so important,” says Leone.

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Carol Nodoline and her husband, Frank, are on the move. Thanks to their travel trailer, they leave their home in Pennsylvania to spend the summer in the mountains and to visit family in North Carolina and Florida. Nodoline does not intend to let her vision problems hold her back. Diagnosed with glaucoma in her mid-50’s, she has had several surgical procedures aimed at controlling the pressure in both eyes. But she has lost substantial vision. “I couldn’t read newspapers anymore,” says the 66-year-old Nodoline. A hand-held magnifier helped, but she found it awkward to use. “When we came back from the mountains last fall, my husband said ‘That’s it; let’s go see what’s available,’” Nodoline recalls. After some comparison shopping, they purchased a ClearView unit in September 2000. “I love it,” she says. “It’s really been a godsend. Now I can enjoy photographs of my grandchildren, and I can read magazines.” That includes the food magazines that Nodoline has always enjoyed. “I like to cook, so now I magnify recipes and transcribe them myself.” She then purchased magnification software for use with the family’s computer. “It’s fantastic,” she says. “Now I can e-mail my grandchildren.”

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