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Looking Another Way
Mesa woman finds ways to replace eyesight
Alison Stanton
Special for The Republic - MESA
Nov. 13, 2004 12:00 AM

Russell Gates/The Arizona Republic
Dorothy Wolfe of Mesa has lost about 80 percent of her vision, but she doesn't let that stop her from leading an active life. Her MagniSight video magnifier allows her to read magazines, newspapers and just about anything else.

Dorothy Wolfe has battled deteriorating eyesight for almost 40 years. Through it all, she has learned that being visually impaired doesn't mean life is over.

And it certainly doesn't mean she can't reach out and help others.

She credits God, a strong work ethic and a stronger will.

Huge technological leaps that have benefited the blind in recent years haven't hurt, either.

Some of those advances will be on display Nov. 19 [2004] at the Vision Rehabilitation and Technology Expo at Phoenix Civic Plaza, and Wolfe, who lives in Mesa, plans to be there.

Wolfe, 75, began having problems with her eyes when she developed her first cataract at 36. She now suffers from macular degeneration and has little sight in her right eye and peripheral vision in her left.

But none of that keeps her from being as active as most people half her age.

"I keep busy wherever I'm able to do it," she said. "I go on with my life. I have a personality that's determined."

This determination, and the technological advances, have allowed Wolfe to continue to live independently. At home, she prepares her own meals, does her own housekeeping and enjoys working on her computer.

"I have my Magic Talking Program computer program that magnifies things on the screen," said Wolfe, adding that the program, which also reads items on the screen out loud, enables her to write, keep track of finances and send e-mail.

Wolfe also has a MagniSight, a closed-circuit television that she uses to read. The magnified words appear on a screen and the machine can handle any type of text.

"I can even put my vitamin pills under it," she said.

In her kitchen, a clock with large numbers and hands hangs over the refrigerator. The microwave is marked with orange dots, and Wolfe's collection of herbs has large-print labels.

She dials the phone, turns on the stove and plugs in appliances "by feel."

"You get experienced," she said. "With the plug-in, you feel the hole."

Although it may take her a bit longer to do some tasks, Wolfe's strong will keeps her going.

"I grew up on a farm so I've worked hard all my life," she said. "Eighty percent of people don't realize I'm blind because my brain sees it and I can feel. My fingers do a lot of the work and my brain does a lot of the work."

Kathy Carlise, a rehabilitation specialist with the Department of Economic Security, conducts home visits with Wolfe and has helped her obtain some of her special equipment. Some, like the MagniSight, have been donated.

Carlise, a Mesa resident, is impressed with Wolfe's positive attitude and her ability to accomplish a lot of things.

"She's good at all this stuff. She's a go-getter," she said. "She does things just by rote."

Wolfe also enjoys attending and volunteering at Red Mountain Methodist Church, where she has been a member since 1997. She helps with membership care and works as a bus dispatcher on Sundays.

"I have a wonderful church," she said. "Let me tell you that God is helping me."

With Carlise's help, Wolfe has started a monthly meeting for people with visual impairments.

Because Wolfe has been so appreciative of the technology that lets her continue to live independently, she has made it a point to attend the Vision Rehabilitation and Technology Expo every year for the past six years.

The event features speakers and about 50 vendors that will allow visually impaired people, their friends and families, and people who work in the field the chance to try out and purchase new products.

"I like to say it's like one-stop shopping because it's so educational and you see all of the resources for blindness and low vision," she said. "For the families, they can see that there's a future for people and that there are ways to cope. You can network and meet people who are visually impaired."

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/mesa/articles/1113vrate13Z11.html

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