Children learn about the five senses in grade school and most put each and every one to good use. But what happens when one of those senses slowly fades away after many years of use?
It takes time to adapt, said Paul Bovey, who has age-related macular degeneration and attends the blind and visually impaired support group that meets once a month at the Oak Harbor Senior Center.
Bovey, a former naval aviator, once had eyes like a hawk. Now he’s legally blind. Bovey relies on his other senses, a walking stick and a fanny-pack full of gizmos to supplement his sight.
Although the group gathers at a community hub for seniors, the meetings are open to people of all ages.
In fact, the group encourages younger vision-impaired Whidbey Islanders to attend and share coping strategies. Macular degeneration, cataracts, diabetic detinopathy, glaucoma and physical eye injury are all causes of vision loss.
Visual impairment shouldn’t restrict the old, the young or anyone in between from going about their daily routine, Bovey said, although they may have to do some things differently.
New ways of “seeing” the world, through touch, tricks and gadgets are a major topic of discussion at the meetings, where people exchange tips and share personal experiences to overcome their less-that-perfect vision.
“I see these people in rest homes or managed care. They don’t go out and do things and they sit their in their rooms and shrivel,” he said.
Bovey’s a strong advocate from the visual impairment group that meets at the Oak Harbor Senior Center every third Tuesday of the month.
Members focus on a specific topic or theme at their monthly meetings and share new tips and tricks they’ve learned to compensate for their sight.
“The more I get involved in this, the more I learn,” he said.
On a national level, vision impairment is one of the top 10 disabilities among adults 18 years and older, according to the Center for Disease Control.
The center began tracking vision impairment and access to eye care in 2005 on a state-by-state basis, however there are no specific statistics for Washington state because the program is not mandatory.
Although the core membership of the Oak Harbor vision support group ranges in age from mid-60s through 90s, Bovey wants to include younger sight-impaired community members in their meetings.
“I think they’d be a real inspiration for these (older) people and what they can do,” he said.
Join the group
The Blind and Vision-Impaired Support Group meets every third Tuesday of the month (May 18) at 2 p.m. at the Oak Harbor Senior Center, 51 SE Jerome St. Call Paul Bovey 679-8293 for more information.
