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OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE Nicole tte Pernot Ringgold OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE Living with Vision Loss in Later Life Nicolette Pernot Ringgold American Foundation for the Blind, New York OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE: LIVING WITH VISION LOSS IN LATER LIFE is ©1991 by American Foundation for the Blind 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011 The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is a national non¬ profit organization that advocates, develops, and provides programs and services to help blind and visually impaired peo¬ ple achieve independence with dignity in all sectors of society. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as may be ex¬ pressly permitted by the 1976 Copyright Act, or in writing from the pub isher. Requests for permission should be addressed in writing to the American Foundation for the Blind, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011. 95 94 93 92 91 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in the United States of America Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ringgold, Nicolette P., 1903- Out of the corner of my eye : living with vision loss in later life / Nicolette P. Ringgold, p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0-89128-193-2 (alk. paper) ISBN 0-89128-211-4 (cassette) 1. Ringgold, Nicolette R, 1903—Health. 2. Retinal degeneration—Patients—Biography. 3. Aged, Blind—Biography. I. Title. RE661.D3R56 1991 362.1'9897773—dc20 91-3352 [B] Contents Foreword by William F. Gallagher.v Introduction by John E. Crews.ix First Impressions.1 At Home: How to Manage .19 The Outside World.53 Resources.69 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2019 with funding from American Printing House for the Blind, Inc. https://archive.org/details/outofcornerofmye00nico_1 Foreword acular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss in people 60 years of age and older. Persons with macular degeneration do not become totally blind, but they lose their ability to see fine detail because of damage to the macula of the eye. Although many people who develop vision loss may in¬ itially feel as though their lives will never be the same, there are many adaptations that can help them to keep doing the things that matter to them. The story of Nicolette Ringgold, an 87-year- old homemaker and retired college professor, is proof of this. Out of the Corner of My Eye: Living with Vision Loss in Later Life is Mrs. v Ringgold’s account of experiencing vision loss at the age of 79. It is the story of how one woman has dealt with losing a great deal of vision and confronting the frustrations brought about by this loss. It includes descriptions of predicaments in which persons with macular degeneration or other forms of vision loss may find themselves and the simple strategies that Mrs. Ringgold has used to adjust to them. Although not all the tips and strategies offered here may work for everyone, they demonstrate how simple adjustments can make a world of difference in allowing people to continue to function as independently as possible. Along the way, they also demonstrate how far good humor and persistence can take someone in affirming that yes, there is life—a good life— after vision loss. Through the publication of this very personal account, the American Foundation for the Blind hopes to provide people who have reduced vision with a perspective that makes the statement, “If she can do it, we all can!” vi And this statement springs from the authen¬ tic experience of someone who has learned to make the most of her remaining vision and to cope with the restrictions brought about by impairment to one’s sight. Out of the Corner of My Eye proves that visual impairment need not end one’s activities and that visually im¬ paired people can live unimpaired lives. William F. Gallagher, MSW President and Executive Director American Foundation for the Blind • • Vll . ' 3 gfo !t * 3 io»‘