Impacts ESPN
The impact of my project focuses on safe medication usage, but also affects lifestyles of the visually impaired. Because they can take medications safely and independently, there is not much need for an assistant and allows them to lead independent lives, which I found was one of the main things that the memoirs said they wish they had. Socially, increasing independence of a person allows them to become more social because they don't have people following them around to help them. Also, allowing visually impaired patients to take medications safely decreases the percent of risk people have for over (or under)-dosage of medicine, taking the wrong medication, and preventing any major mix-ups at the pharmacy or for the patient. By doing this, less people will die from misuse of medications promote the safe use of medications.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I’ve learned many things through my research of the visually impaired. Of all the things, the most important thing I’ve read is the obstacles and experiences people who are visually impaired go through. The shift in their lives and how they must adapt to their lack of eyesight is astounding. When I first thought of this idea for a project, I didn’t believe there was much to being visually impaired. But now, I realize being visually impaired has many complicated and complex things about it that people must deal with every day, like financial issues, emotional issues, medications, etc. Every day is a struggle for them. Through my research, I covered diseases, medications, technology, language, and lifestyle, and have come to understand what it feels like to be visually impaired.
One of my first studies, the diseases of the eye that causes blindness, which led me into an in-depth study of the eye and how it functions. I learned how the delicate the parts of the eye is. For example, cataracts is caused by the clouding of the lens, which in turn affects the retina and how an image is created. Glaucoma is affected by fluid pressure in the eye. Macular degeneration destroys the macula, and diabetic retinopathy causes blood vessels to leak and swell. Do you see a pattern? Only one part of the eye is really changed, but it changes a persons's vision drastically. Also, the diseases cannot be reversed easily or cannot be reversed at all.
I also decided to study the aspects of a visually impaired person's life. By reading memoirs and guidebook for people who are visually impaired, I found that the visually impaired often have to be creative in order to do ordinary tasks. For example, in order to locate things, one person labeled doors with different textures. Also, bills often pile up and doing jobs become increasingly difficult. Imagine never being able to see what you're doing. Everything would take at least five times the amount of work and time, and no one wants to hire people who will take more time than others.
Braille, a language I have studied over the past months, was developed by Louis Braille and is used worldwide by the visually impaired to read and write. By being acquainted with braille, I have come to appreciate the amount of work it takes to accomplish this. It took me two weeks to get the grammar and letters down, and I was still slow at remembering it. Once I bought a slate and stylus, the most common way to write braille, it took me a while to flip all the letters I learned and become skilled at it. I am still not as fast as those who have used it for years, but I can still write sentences with it.
One of my first studies, the diseases of the eye that causes blindness, which led me into an in-depth study of the eye and how it functions. I learned how the delicate the parts of the eye is. For example, cataracts is caused by the clouding of the lens, which in turn affects the retina and how an image is created. Glaucoma is affected by fluid pressure in the eye. Macular degeneration destroys the macula, and diabetic retinopathy causes blood vessels to leak and swell. Do you see a pattern? Only one part of the eye is really changed, but it changes a persons's vision drastically. Also, the diseases cannot be reversed easily or cannot be reversed at all.
I also decided to study the aspects of a visually impaired person's life. By reading memoirs and guidebook for people who are visually impaired, I found that the visually impaired often have to be creative in order to do ordinary tasks. For example, in order to locate things, one person labeled doors with different textures. Also, bills often pile up and doing jobs become increasingly difficult. Imagine never being able to see what you're doing. Everything would take at least five times the amount of work and time, and no one wants to hire people who will take more time than others.
Braille, a language I have studied over the past months, was developed by Louis Braille and is used worldwide by the visually impaired to read and write. By being acquainted with braille, I have come to appreciate the amount of work it takes to accomplish this. It took me two weeks to get the grammar and letters down, and I was still slow at remembering it. Once I bought a slate and stylus, the most common way to write braille, it took me a while to flip all the letters I learned and become skilled at it. I am still not as fast as those who have used it for years, but I can still write sentences with it.