When I first started low vision assessment (1990 seems a long time ago now) I soon learned that presumptions about the elderly are dangerous. Assuming all are frail and of limited means is a dangerous policy, particularly nowadays when so many of our patients may have already scanned the internet to decide what particular appliance may be the one for them before they even see you.
The use of computers, and I extend this to most electronic gadgets, is linked to age. The recent RNIB Sight Loss UK 2012 report had an interesting section on technology. A high 87 per cent report television as important and an increasing number, 58 per cent, are aware of audio description facility. However, where 78 per cent of the sight impaired aged 18-74 use computers, in the over-75s this falls to just 12 per cent. Similarly with mobile phones, 82 per cent of the under-75s use them as compared with just 28 per cent in the over-75s.
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