Hand stand magnifier
Large 2.5x/6D Small 3.5x/10D
MAG38 - MAG39
Pleaseretaintheseinstructionsforfuturereference.Theseinstructionsarealsoavailableinotherformats.
Importance of a low vision assessment
RNIBandActionforBlindPeoplestronglyadviseanyonewithvisualimpairmenttohavealowvisionassessment.ThisisanNHSfundedserviceusuallyaccessedatyourlocalhospitaleyeclinicorrunbyalocalorganisation.ReferraltotheclinicisusuallybyyourGeneralPractitioner(Doctor),OptometristorOphthalmologist.Theassessmentisfreeofchargeandavailabletoanyonewithlowvision.Youdonothavetoberegisteredassightimpairedtoaccessthisservice.
Lowvisionmeansthatyouwillbefindingithardtoseethingsasclearlyasyouwouldliketo,evenafteryouhavehadyoureyestestedandarewearingthecorrectspectaclesorcontactlenses.
Attheassessmentaqualifiedlowvisionpractitionerwillcheckyourvisionandassessyoursuitabilityforlowvisionaidssuchasmagnifiers.Theseclinicsareusuallyabletoprovideatleastonemagnifiertoyou,freeofcharge.Asmagnifierscanbedifficulttouseinitially,thepractitionerwillhelpyoutogetthebestoutoftheequipmenttheyprescribe.Ifyouhavebeendischargedbyyoureyespecialist,youcanaskyourGPorOptometristtoreferyoutothenearestclinic.
Choosing a magnifier
RNIB'sbooklet'Choosingyourmagnifier'isdesignedtohelppeoplewithavisualimpairmentunderstandthevarioustypesofmagnifierthatcanbeusedforspecifictasks.ThisbookletisavailablefromRNIB'sHelplineinlargeprint,audioorbraille.
Warning! Important information
Donotleaveyourmagnifierindirectsunlightwhenitisnotbeingused.Theintensifyingeffectofthelenscouldbecomeafirehazardindirectsunlight.Useyourprotectivecover(ifprovided)andalwaysstoreinasafeplace.
Neverlookatthesundirectlythroughamagnifyinglensasitcoulddamageyoureyes.DonotlookdirectlyatthelightsourceinilluminatedmagnifiersasLEDsareverybright.
Avoidimpacting,bangingordroppingyourmagnifier,aswellasmoistureandhightemperatureswhichmaycausedamage.
Avoidputtingyourhandsorfingersonthelensofyourmagnifier-alwaysusetheframeorhandle.
General description
'Handstand’magnifiersofferachoiceofahand,aswellasastandmagnifierallinone.Withabuilt-infoldinghandleandtwowire‘legs’,youcanchoosehowtoholdthismagnifier.Ifyouhavedifficultyholdingahandheldmagnifieratthecorrectdistanceandposition,aHandstandmayhelpyoumaintainthecorrectposition.
Orientation
Holdingthemagnifierinfrontofyou,thelensiscontainedwithinarectangularplasticsurround.Onesideofthelensiscurvedandtheotherisflat,whichmeansthismagnifiercanbeusedfromeitherside.
Ononeedgeoftheframe,youwillfindaroundedhandleattachedbyahinge.Touseasahandmagnifier,simplypullthehandleout(toamaximumof120-degrees).
Insidetheframe(ontheflatsideofthelens)isasemi-circularrecesswherethemetallicarmsaresited.Therearenotchescutintotheframetoallowaccesstothemetallicarms.Touseasastandmagnifier,pullbothstandsouttoamaximumof90-degreesandrestitonaflatsurfaceaboveyourprint.
Getting started
Hand magnifier
Whenusingahandheldmagnifieryouwillneedtoholditinthecorrectpositionanddistanceoffthepage,tofocus.Youcandothisbyplacingthemagnifierflatonthepageandslowlybringituptowardsyoureyeuntilitisinfocus.Ifyoucanbringthemagnifier(andprinttogether)neareryoureyeyouwillbeabletoseemorewordsinoneview.Iftheimageappearsupsidedown,themagnifierandprintaretoofarawayfromyoureyeandyouwillneedtobringthemagnifierandpagenearertoyoureye(maintainingthefocalposition).
Anotherwayofusingyourhandheldmagnifieristoholdthemagnifieruptoyourviewingeye(lookingthroughthecentreofthelens),andbringupthereadingmaterialuntilitbecomesinfocusandisclearertosee.
Stand magnifier
Standmagnifiersarespeciallydesigned‘fixedfocus’magnifiersthatstandonapage,whichyouslideacrossasyouread.Standmagnifierswillinmostcases‘automatically’focuswhenlookingthroughthelens.Youmayneedtowearyourreadingspectacleswhenusingstandmagnifierstogettheclearestimage.Astandmagnifierisidealforpeoplewhomayhavedifficultyinholdingahandheldmagnifier.
Aftercare
Propercareofyourmagnifiermeansitwillprovideyouwithmanyyearsofuntroubledreading.Cleanthelenswithadampcloth(ideallyadampmicro-fibrecloth).Neverusesolventssuchasalcohol,benzeneorothercleaningagentsasthesecandamagethelens.
Youmayfindsmalllinesthatlooklikehairlinecracksattheedgeoflightweightlensesorintheplasticframe.Theseareflowlinesthatoccurduringtheproductionprocess,buttheydonotaffectthefunctionordurabilityinanyway.
Hints and tips
Itisessentialthatthereadingmaterialisplacedonafirmandflatservice.Ifyouarenotusingyourtable,youcanalsoachievethisbyusingproductssuchasaclipboard(availablefromRNIB-productcodeDW38). Acushionortraymayalsobeuseful.
Magnifiersusuallyworkbestwiththespectaclesthatyouhavebeenprescribedbyyourlowvisionprofessional.Ifyoufinditdifficulttokeepyourplacewhenreading,tryusingyourfingertomarkthestartofeachline.Holdingamagnifierclosetoyoureyeandthenbringingwhatyouwanttoseeuptoitwilloftenhelpyouseemorelettersandwordsatatime.Trymovingthebookorpagefromsidetosideratherthanmovingthemagnifieroryoureyes.Ifyoufindyoureyesaregettingtired,takeabreakandstartagainwhenyoufeelbetter.
Effective lighting
RNIBandThomasPocklington'sbooklet'Makethemostofyoursight,improvethelightinginyourhome'demonstratesgoodpracticebygivingideas,hintsandtips.Itexplainshowtolightyourhomemoreeffectively,aswellasexplainingdifferenttypesoflightingandtheirbenefits.Itisavailableinlargeprint,audioandbraillefromRNIB'sHelplineoryoucandownloaditfromourwebsite.
How to contact RNIB
Phone number: 0303 123 9999
Textphone: 0845 758 5691
Postal address: RNIB, PO Box 173, Peterborough PE2 6WS, U.K.
Email:
Web address:
Email for international customers:
Terms and conditions of sale
This product is guaranteed from manufacturing faults for 12 months from the date of purchase. If you have any issues with the product and you did not purchase directly from RNIB then please contact your retailer in the first instance.
For all returns and repairs contact RNIB first to get a returns authorisation number to help us deal efficiently with your product return.
You can request full terms and conditions from RNIB or view them online.
Registered Charity No. 226227
Date: June 2014
© RNIB
1