Q U A N T U M L I V E W I R E LO W V I S I O N | W I N T E R 2 0 1 3 1

ISSUE 33 | WINTER 2013

Welcome to the Winter edition of our new LiveWire Low Vision newsletter. Over the last few months, we have been working towards developing partnerships with select organisations that offer specialised services to seniors with low vision, and we have some very exciting news for our clients! Read more about our new projects with the Australian Seniors Clubs Association and COTA in the following pages.

We also review the wide range of other clubs that we interact with on a regular basis. In our Client Corner you can read about a racing legend who has had to come to terms with

vision loss. And of course there is all the latest news on products and services for people with low vision.

We would also like to announce that due to growing demand for our services in Queensland, our Brisbane Sight Support Centre has relocated to larger premises. We are now located on the sixth floor of Ladhope

Chambers on Wickham Terrace. Our new Centre features dedicated training rooms and areas for in-house services, such as presentations, technology assessments and a more spacious show room for all our products. Come to our Open Day (p. 8) or drop in any time!

New additions to our portable magnifer range

Our new Brisbane

Centre now has even

more in-house services

contact usNSW 02 9479 3100VIC 03 9545 4100QLD 07 3831 4894info@quantumrlv.com.auquantumrlv.com.au

highlights

Information is the key to learning how to live well with low vision.

Welcome

7

Club News .................... 2-3New Scanner / Reader....... 4Client Corner .................... 5Quantum News ................. 6New 2013 Catalogue ........ 7New Regional Services ..... 8

THE LATEST INFORMATION ON ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

Q UA N T U M L I V E W I R E LO W V I S I O N | W I N T E R 2 0 1 32

Anyone with grandchildren today will know that they can only be communicated with via the computer! Ring up any government department and they will tell you to look at the website, and just about every advertisement tells us that the full details are available online! What happens if you don’t use a computer?

For some seniors, especially those with low vision, becoming a computer boffin is a challenge that can be too great. Well, that is about to change.

The Australian Seniors Computer Clubs Association (ASCCA) is committed to providing opportunities and training to Australian seniors to participate actively in the world of computers. ASCCA has recognised the increasing numbers of people who are members of existing clubs or who wish to join a club, who have vision loss from eye diseases such as macular degeneration.

ASCCA and Quantum are very pleased to announce a new exciting project where Quantum will provide copies of the Guide software to 10 ASCCA clubs at no cost.

Guide is software that has been developed for seniors by Dolphin Computer Access (UK). Guide is useful for all seniors, independent of whether they

have vision loss, as it simplifies the regular computer screen down to a numbered list, and it can be displayed in large print as well as speak. All of the typical functions people want to use a computer for are in this list, and it will guide the user; to look at a website for example it will tell you, “Press number 3” (see picture).

As part of this project, anyone interested will be able to purchase their copy of Guide through ASCCA at a reduced price. They will also receive training from ASCCA volunteers who have been trained to use Guide.

“This is a win-win for all concerned” said Nan Bosler, President of ASCCA. And hopefully it will be the open door through which many

No Excuses! Become a Computer Boffin Now!!

more seniors can participate in the world of computers. If you would like more information please contact your local Seniors Computer Club or their head office on (02) 9286 3871. You can always contact us here at Quantum as well if you need additional information.

Pictured below: Tim Connell (Quantum Managing Director), Diane Brentnall (ASCCA’s Training Coordinator) and Nan Bosler (President of ASCCA)

Q UA N T U M L I V E W I R E LO W V I S I O N | W I N T E R 2 0 1 3 3

Quantum works closely with many clubs and associations around Australia and we are always humbled by the commitment and hard work of the countless volunteers that make clubs work. These people are often unrecognised yet they provide such an incredible service to so many older Australians. The variety of clubs is enormous but they all share some common characteristics, including social networking, a venue for new friendships to blossom and old ones to continue, and a place to spend a few enjoyable hours in the company of others. They also provide a sense of belonging and being part of a group and they all offer a really essential ingredient of modern life; information.

Recent research in the US is showing us that the best way to keep a healthy brain and to fight off diseases like Alzheimer’s depends less on the number

of crosswords you finish and books you read, and more on the number of people that you interact with on a daily basis. We are social animals, and our brains need the stimulation of interacting with other people to keep in peak fitness. In this context the importance of clubs cannot be overstated.

Please keep in mind that we regularly provide speakers for club events and meetings. Our consultants can give a talk on the various eye conditions that cause low vision and how technology can help. If you or any of your members are facing low vision, the best weapon you can have is information. We appreciate all the feedback we regularly receive from clubs on how much they enjoy our information sessions. If you would like to arrange a talk, phone your local office or email info@quantumrlv.com.au.

Join the Club!

Pictured left: A visitor to our event at COTA NT in Darwin in May.

Latest Club News

Quantum is now an official Alliance Partner with COTA. COTA has been the peak body representing the interests and views of older Australians for over 50 years. The organisation actively engages in advocacy work, aiming to inform and influence Federal, State and Local government, the business sector and the general community. COTA also provides opportunities for members to directly contribute to the identification of issues and the development of policy.

Members also enjoy access to the COTA Rewards and Savings Program, entitling them to incredible savings on shopping, travel, and entertainment.

As an Alliance Partner, we can now offer exclusive offers to COTA members. If you would like to become a member of COTA, we can now offer a free one-year membership, with the purchase of any desktop vision aid from Quantum, giving you access to all the offers within the COTA Rewards and Savings Program.

Contact us for more details.

For older Australians

PANTONE 432 UCMYK 23c 2m 0y 77kRGB 75r 87g 95b

PANTONE 173 UCMYK 0c 69m 100y 4kRGB 232r 109g 31b

PANTONE 144 UCMYK 0c 48m 100y 0kRGB 248r 151g 29b

PANTONE 377 UCMYK 45c 0m 100y 24kRGB 120r 162g 47b

PANTONE 390 UCMYK 22c 0m 100y 8kRGB 193r 205g 35b

PANTONE 123 UCMYK 0c 24m 94y 0kRGB 255r 196g 37b

If there is one area of technology that has changed more than most it is scanning and reading. This is where we use technology to take a picture of a page and then use software to interpret the words on it so they can be spoken by a machine voice. We already provide a wide range of options including the ClearReader+, PEARL and OpenBook, SARA CE, Zoom-Ex and Zoom-Twix.

Scanning and reading devices are really useful for people with no sight, as well as people with low vision, who may use it in conjunction with their magnifiers when their eyes get fatigued or sore.

Well, there is now another option that has recently been released in the US and we think this one is worthy of a close look. It is called the Eye-Pal Ace and incorporates two cameras, a screen and all the controls within a single box that weighs just 1.6kg.

Sit in a Comfy Chair and Read! batteries or mains power and has an auto-standby feature to preserve battery life. There are also two bright LED lights built-in that are positioned so as not to shine in the user’s eyes. The positioning of the lights and cameras also facilitates writing.

The Eye-Pal Ace has been developed by AbiSee in the US, makers of the Zoom-Ex and Zoom-Twix. So they have plenty of experience in scanning and reading. With the Eye-Pal Ace they claim only a three second delay between scanning a page and having it read back to you. It will read mail, newspapers, magazines, recipes and even food packaging. When not being used as a magnifier it will display a large print clock on the screen, and will even remind you of appointments!

Being such a new product, there is already a queue for trials and demonstrations, so please express your interest early.

Q UA N T U M L I V E W I R E LO W V I S I O N | W I N T E R 2 0 1 34

Scanning and Reading for All

The Eye-Pal Ace will enable multiple pages to be scanned and stored. This means that you can sit in your favourite chair and read the large print version on the screen as well as listen along as each word is spoken. Don’t be put off by the idea of a computer voice talking to you; Eye-Pal Ace has really good quality Australian voices!

Why Two Cameras?

The first camera takes a picture of any A4 document and sends the image to be converted to speech and large print. The second camera enables live video, meaning you can use it as a regular electronic magnifier. With the unit sitting on a desk, you can place objects to be magnified in front of it, and use the in-built screen to view them.

At around the size of a large book (27cm x 26cm x 7.6cm), the Eye-Pal Ace can easily be carried around. It will run from

In this issue we profile Colin Tidy, bookmaker, horse owner and genuine racing legend.

Over the last few years Colin has lost a great deal of his usable vision due to macular degeneration.

In a recent biography of Colin, the author and racing journalist Ken Callander described him as one of the best known, and the last, of the old style bookmakers. As a young boy Colin lived in Sydney’s Kensington, right amongst the horses and trainers, and only a few streets away from Randwick Racecourse. He started up a lawn mowing business but horse racing was in his blood, so he would finish early on race days in order to get to the track and place a bet. Eventually in 1978 he followed his passion and decided to apply to become a bookmaker. Such was his reputation at the time,

the referees on his application were the Minister for Sport, the Chairman of the TAB and the Chairman of the Tattersalls Club!

Colin and his wife of 45 years, Helen, have also owned a string of horses and enjoyed plenty of success, in particular with the champion Zedative, winner of five Group 1 races. Colin was also a successful businessman and founded the corporation BetChoice Pty. Ltd. which he sold last year.

Colin had already lost a significant amount of vision in his right eye through macular degeneration, when a burst blood vessel robbed most of the sight from his left eye. Although he was at an age when most people would have already retired, his loss of sight was the deciding factor in hanging up his bookmakers bag.

At a talk given by the Macular

Disease Foundation in Bondi, Colin was able to meet Jeff Landers, one of our Low Vision Consultants, and inspect the range of options that are available to help people in his position. He has since trialled some options at home and has purchased a ClearView+ HD and a Compact 7 HD. The ClearView+ enables him to read the form guide at home, and the Compact 7 HD he can take with him wherever he goes.

Now that his track days are behind him Colin is keen that no one feels sorry for him. “I have had a terrific trot and I will still be having a bet every Saturday” he said. “The only thing I am dirty on is I won’t be able to watch Souths win the grand final this year!”*

*The Daily Telegraph, Feb 25 2011.

Q UA N T U M L I V E W I R E LO W V I S I O N | W I N T E R 2 0 1 3 5

Client Corner

We are very pleased to have Rebecca Clark (pictured above)join us recently in our Sydney office. For the last 10 years, Rebecca has worked at the Association for the Blind of WA, based in Perth.

Rebecca has extensive knowledge of assistive technology and a great deal of experience helping people who are blind or vision impaired choose the equipment that is right for them, and training and supporting them in its use. You will have a chance to meet her in our webinars and training sessions planned for the near future!

We have also welcomed a new Low Vision Consultant to our team, Chris Kovelis (pictured

Our new website hosts a range of new features and resources that you can access any time.

What can you do on our site?• View our entire range of

products, including latest releases.

• Purchase all products online and have it delivered to your door within the week.

• Download brochures and product manuals.

• Our Events calendar tells you what’s on and where we’ll be.

• Our News page features the latest articles and stories.

• COMING SOON: “How to” videos and online training!

Does it seem everyone is asking you to follow them on Twitter? Do you ever ask why?! Due to our strong international networks, we can bring you up-to-date news on new products, new resources, people and events. The story in this edition on the Eye-Pal Ace is a good example of news that is happening right now, and you are hearing about it before anyone else. We’ve also been around for a while and our field consultants alone have over 160 years of experience (it’s true!!). You can also get instant updates on our specials and events.

Q UA N T U M L I V E W I R E LO W V I S I O N | W I N T E R 2 0 1 36

New Faces at Quantum

Follow us on Twitter

Find it on our Website

New 2013 Sight Support Catalogue

below left). Chris will be assisting our low vision clients in Western Sydney, including Homebush, Parramatta and out to the Blue Mountains and Western NSW. He has years of experience in the optical industry and is looking forward to meeting with new clients.

quantumrlv.com.au

Solutions for people living with low vision

Sight Support Catalogue

We have just released our new catalogue for 2013. It features an extra four pages; packed full of all our new and soon to be released products. You can download a copy now from our website home page or use the reply-paid card enclosed with this newsletter to request a copy to be posted to you or request a trial of a featured product.

@quantumrlv

Visit us at quantumrlv.com.au

One of the simple facts about reading and magnification is that a bigger screen is better, because you can fit more text on it. The more text there is, the more legible it is to read. So the multitude of small hand held devices are great for small amounts of reading, what we call “spot reading”, but are less useful if you want to read a book (what we call “extended reading”).

Small devices are portable, and big screens aren’t. So there has been a need for a compromise, which has arrived in the form of the Compact 7 HD.

This new addition to the Optelec Compact range of handheld

Q UA N T U M L I V E W I R E LO W V I S I O N | W I N T E R 2 0 1 3 7

New Mid-Size Portable Magnifier

magnifiers provides a 7-inch high definition screen. It is a good midway point between handheld and desktop units and will provide on-the-go reading as it can be easily carried. It has two reading modes and a sturdy leather carry case is included.

With a single button press, the

New 4-inch HD Portable Magnifier

We have another addition to our Compact High Definition range - the Compact 4 HD. This magnifier features a 4-inch screen in a unique portable design.

When placed flat on a desk and used with the detachable stand, the Compact 4 HD sits at a comfortable viewing angle and can be used just like a dome magnifier. When out and about, simply pull the magnetised stand off, and carry it in your pocket or handbag.

The special soft-touch coating makes it comfortable to grip as you slide it

Compact 7 HD unfolds and turns itself on. To use it you simply push it around the page; no more having to hold your portable magnifier at just the right height.

Call your local office if you would like a demonstration.

effortlessly over magazines, books and letters.

The Compact 4 HD magnifies from 1.7X to 12X and weighs less than 400grams.

Call your local office if you would like a demonstration.

Q UA N T U M L I V E W I R E LO W V I S I O N | W I N T E R 2 0 1 38

Your Local Service

NEW SOUTH WALES VICTORIA

North Shore

Sutherland

Bendigo

QUEENSLAND

Brisbane

Wide BayNORTHERN TERRITORY

Alice Springs

OPEN WEEK

We will be officially launching our new Brisbane office with an Open Week from Monday 8 July to Friday 12 July. Please contact Kerrilee on 3831 4894 for more information or drop in any time during business hours.

Paul-Andre at VisionAnew is located within the Gordon Specialist Centre on Pacific Highway, next door to Gordon Village. The store stocks a select range of our latest products. Contact 1300 213 163 to make an appointment.

Local orthoptist, Virginia, who runs Kids Eye Gym, now provides adult low vision assessments and stocks a select range of our devices. Better Start, Medicare, DVA and private health rebates are all available through her service. For appointments, call 4433 1782.

Our newest Sight Support Centre is located in Gymea on President Ave, opposite President Private Hospital. We stock our entire range onsite and you are welcome any time, but appointments are a must. Call Jeff on 9479 3100 to book.

If you live anywhere from Gladstone to Gympie, or as far in as Kingaroy, you may have had a chance to meet Margaret. Margaret has been busy exhibiting at expos and giving presentations. To book a home visit or talk, call 4124 1883.

During our recent tour of the Territory, we enlisted a new local contact for our customers. Bill Robertson Optometrists in Alice Springs, now stocks a select range of our electronic magnifiers. Find him at Shop 39, 36 Hartley St or call 8952 0044.