Making life easier

Real Living with Multiple Sclerosis, Nov 2000 by Schwarz, Shelley Peterman

Making TV Enjoyable for the Visually Impaired

Dear Readers,

"Watching" television for most people means both watching and listening. With the advent of closed captioning, individuals with hearing impairments have been able to read the dialogue of a program as it happens, making television accessible to those who can't hear it. But what about people who are blind or visually impaired?

Because television is largely a visual medium, networks and TV manufacturers have understood the need to provide alternatives for people with impaired vision. Enter Second Audio Program (SAP) and Descriptive Video Service (DVS). Most televisions and VCRs made since 1990 are equipped with SAP, an audio mode accessible from the setup menu or on the remote control of the TV or VCR. Once SAP is activated, the regular soundtrack of a given program is supplemented with an additional audio program, which might range from an alternate language translation to a verbal description of the actions taking place on screen. Descriptive Video Service (DVS) is a free national service that provides access to TV programs, home videos, and even some theatrical releases for people who are blind or visually impaired through audible descriptions of the visual component of programs. PBS (public television) and the Turner Classic Movies (TCM) network lead the way in providing programming with SAP and DVS. Check out the Web site at http://www.wgbh.org/ wgbh/access/dvs/dvstv.html to access the DVS monthly TV schedule on PBS. PBS and TCM are the only networks that provide this service. Contact your local network affiliates and urge them to provide DVS programming. If enough people express an interest, eventually the networks will catch on.

-Shelley

Wagon Ho

I use a Radio Flyer Wagon to move groceries from my car to my house.

-Paul Shirley

Shopping frenzy

When I have the energy and time, I like to go to the mall. I make a realistic list of the items needed and try to find as many as my energy will allow. In the pocket of my jacket, coat, or shirt, I carry a durable plastic shopping bag with handles. I use a cane, and carry a shoulder purse, and like the security of having a bag with handles to carry my purchases.

-Linda W. Irwin

No more hot wheels

I cover my steering wheel with a towel so that the sun won't make the wheel too hot to touch.

-F.J.

Cool idea

I take a self-sealing plastic sandwich bag and fill it with ice. Then I put it on my head under my hat. It really cools me off in hot weather.

Curtis Wittwer

Foot-related solutions

It's easier to put on nylon stockings or socks if you first put cornstarch on the bottom of your feet and heels. In a pinch, use the end of a belt as a shoehorn. -Via e-mail

Shopping made easier

To cope with my memory problems, I study the store ads in my newspaper. Then I use a small spiral notebook that I keep in my purse to list the store name, the items I want to buy, and the prices.

-June

Card carrying made easy

To make it easier to pull credit cards out of the narrow slots in your wallet, create a tape tab on the top of each credit card before sliding it into your wallet. I took narrow duct tape and folded it in half, placing a small section of tape touching the back and front of the card. I experinvented with the length of the tabs.

-Betty Hankin

Ex-cell-ent tip

An important device I use is my cell phone, so help is just a call away. The new models are great because you can program in many (up to 100) phone numbers. I use speed-dial, where you only need to hold down a single button and a programmed number is automatically dialed. I keep an extra battery handy and just have to remember to keep my phone charged up.

-Paul Shirley

Black out sunrays

The common belief that white clothing reflects sunlight is incorrect. The sun's rays penetrate lightcolored clothes. Darkcolored clothing will absorb UV rays, preventing them from reaching your skin.

-Rodney Basler, M.D.

Mail your time- and energy-saving tips and ideas to: Shelley Peterman Schwarz, c/o Real Living with Multiple Sclerosis, 1111 Bethlehem Pike, PO. Box 908, Springhouse, PA 194770908; or via E-mail at help@ MakingLifeEasier. com, or SPSchwarz@ aol.com. You can also visit her Web site at http://www. MakingLifeEasier.com. Shelley's 300 Tips for Making Life with Multiple Sclerosis Easier (ISBN 1-888-799-23-4) features tips, techniques, and shortcuts for conserving time and energy so you can do more of the things you want to do. The book is $16.95, and is available at most bookstores.