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Posted: Tue 17 Oct 2006 7:30 pm
by GarethB
Brigid,

When I was having lens problems this time last year I decided that as work had to make reasonable adjustments I would make the most of it.

As my sight improved, rather than use it at work, I would remove my lenses while at work and put them back in when i left work so that I could enjoy the evenings at home and pursue my hobbies a wee bit more.

Not the usual suggestion we would make here, but it might help from the point of view you can do something for you and not someone else.

Whenever you feel down, here is the place to post and I promise not to pm the dodgy stuff Seewt demand when she feels down :twisted:

Posted: Tue 17 Oct 2006 8:10 pm
by brigid downing
Hee hee Gareth, I like your thinking :twisted:

Actually there may be truth in what you say. If I could manage a better work/life balance then I might be better able to keep perspective.

It is difficult because I don't want to let my students down - because this is not their fault. However, I will think more carefully about this.

Thank you Gareth - you've given me something to think over. See the system works!

Posted: Tue 17 Oct 2006 11:14 pm
by John Smith
Actually, I do think that Gareth has a point.

At the first group meeting I attended I asked a DDA specialist whether my employer would be entitled to my best vision.

I was obtaining reasonable vision with glasses during daylight, but was useless once it got dark. I naturally put my 4 hours per day of contact lens wear to use then.

I think that the question shocked a number of people present, but to me it was a question of work/life balance. Sure, doing it "my way" made me slightly less productive at work, but it also gave me a social life.

Given the same circumstances, I would probably do the same thing.

BTW, the DDA advisor was also a bit taken aback, but her advice was that give and take should apply; and that my employer was indeed entitled to my best vision, but maybe only for a couple of days a week. She also commented that they'd probably need a test case to do anything about it :-)

Posted: Wed 18 Oct 2006 7:01 am
by Matthew_
I think there is often a lot that can be done in the work place to increase effectiveness without lenses or to reduce reliance on them.
I recently got my employer to supply better lighting, a bigger keyboard and a screen magnifier. It was a struggle at first to get the items procured but boy! Was it worth it? I also got the DPI settings on my PC increased. The result is that I can use my PC without lenses. I have mild KC, so others may need more expensive alterations but it is the employers interest to improve your effectiveness. After all, you will not be able to wear lenses all the time and after all, you go to work to support your private life not sacrifice your personal life to support your work.

Posted: Wed 18 Oct 2006 7:30 am
by GarethB
With the adjustments my employer has made in the office I can be about as productive with out lenses as I am with.

It is the laboratory work I can not do without lenses for obveous safety reasons.

Posted: Wed 18 Oct 2006 10:10 am
by jayboi2005
I have given all my teachers the KC Students leaflet, Ann kindly sent those out to me (She is great, she has sent a fair few things out to me now in record time! THANKS!) All my tutors are aware but they forget because they cannot actually see a physical problem. So when i constantly ask them it really annoys me. I know that its not anyone's fault its just life. (No Gareth I'm not at Coventry yet just finishing my A - Levels off.)

I have an appointment at the Hospital this Thursday but i don't care much for it. If my last one was anything to go by i wonder if its worth the bother going. Last time i went the Lady hardly spoken English, i asked her questions and got no answers to them. She diagnosed KC without looking into my eyes and said see you in 3 months. I got a letter through saying they have a new appointment system and mine had been canceled. So i finally have one this Thursday and I'm sure my last was in May.

I also have an appointment with my opticians this Saturday, this guy is great! He really does try to help me. But lenses are horrid, i have never got on with them since i started and that was years ago. They do make an improvement when they are in but they make my eyes so sore that i don't like them. Then i have all the usual problems i have mentioned.

I feel better now as ½ term is approaching fast and i can give my eyes a break from all the strain! :lol: 8)

Posted: Wed 18 Oct 2006 10:41 am
by GarethB
Jayboi,

What are you taking for the sore eyes?

Posted: Wed 18 Oct 2006 1:10 pm
by jayboi2005
Nothing, i think it is the dryness that makes it worse. Along with all the prodding that goes on tyring to get these things in.

Posted: Wed 18 Oct 2006 5:56 pm
by GarethB
Jayboi,

Speak with the optom or try Blink by Amo, it is a very watery eye drop designed to be used with any type of lens while you are wearing them so no proding about removing lenses jsut to use drops like I have to do.

These drops are dirt cheap from Boots in a little bottle or single use ampoules.

Know what you mean about lecturers being a bit slow, keep nagging and I hope it will be worth it, it was for me. Plus now we have the disibility discrimination act so they are legally obliged to help. Something that was not around when I was studying.

Posted: Thu 19 Oct 2006 12:23 am
by John Smith
Matthew_Offord wrote:I I also got the DPI settings on my PC increased. The result is that I can use my PC without lenses.
This can really make a huge difference. Unfortunately, under Windows, some applications really don't expect the DPI (dots per inch) to be different, and those apps become more difficult to use.

Well-written apps are all fine though, and even the bad ones usually remain usable.

I usually recommend INCREASING the screen resolution, too. This is really counter-intuitive, as it makes the text smaller. But then by increasing the DPI, text becomes the same size, but better formed and less blocky. This is usually a lot easier to read than text at the same physical size on screen but a lower resolution.