Low Vision Product Comments

RUBY: “The Best Purchase I Made”

Marlene Haugen is completely thrilled with her new RUBY. "I purchased the RUBY^® handheld video magnifier on September 1, and it is one of the best purchases I could ever have made," she says. "While this product is mostly used for reading texts, prescription labels, etc., I have found it to be most helpful for reading items on a bulletin board. I am 4’ 7 1/2” tall, so items on bulletin boards are too high.It is certainly an improvement over asking someone else to read important items on a bulletin board.

"I very much like the product because it is simple to use and not very heavy. I also appreciate the fact that the batteries are housed in the pull-out handle. I looked at another handheld video magnifier and found that the RUBY outstripped the other product. Your product is not too wieldy to hold, even though I have small hands.

"Thank you and the technical team at Freedom Scientific for designing and manufacturing such a great product as the RUBY. The RUBY is truly a product that will help others to be more independent and not be so reliant on others for assistance."

Mom's TOPAZ is a Life Saver

Kathy from Illinois recently purchased a TOPAZ^® for her mother. She writes, "I just wanted to e-mail you to say thank you once again for helping me get my Mom set up with the TOPAZ. She uses it all the time and it is a life saver! She is able to write out bills and read her mail. It allows her to be self-sufficient in ways that would not be possible otherwise. It allows her to feel useful and that makes me smile. She has been through alot in her life and this is a great reward for her!"

New Owner - “RUBY is Easy to Operate”

Tom Hocutt recently purchased a RUBY, and here is what he has to say about it: "Just purchased my RUBY today. Love it. Had a Clarity Pocket Mate that would no longer hold a charge. The RUBY is easy to operate. The controls are well located. Job well done. Keep it up."

TOPAZ Owner Sings Its Praises

Becca H. writes: "I was born with mild vision loss. Although I can read normal print easily, I have to be very close to it. I did fine with no assistive aids until college where the textbooks were so heavy I couldn't hold them up. Handheld magnifiers didn't do enough. Forget reading! Then I found out about the TOPAZ (desktop video magnifier). I love this device. The low levels of magnification are clearer than others I have seen on the market, not to mention that such low levels are not always provided. I extended my uses of it over time. Now, I never write anything without it, and I often read smaller print items than I would without it. The color contrast options are so helpful, and the brightly colored buttons help me not to have to see the pictures for what they do - I just remember what color does what."

Low Vision Product Advisor Names RUBY Best Handheld Video Magnifier

British low vision service hosptial advisor Richard Clegg wrote to tell us of his recent research into handheld video magnifiers: "I am the Technical Adviser to the low vision departments of several UK NHS hospitals, giving advice on electronic magnifiers from the user point of view (I am partially sighted). Recently, I reviewed handheld devices and, of the 27 devices covered, I have chosen the RUBY^® as my top product."

State Technology Specialist Appreciates Braille-accessible Packaging

Recently State Technology Specialist Kelly B wrote us with praise for MAGic^®: "I write to thank you and those involved in the production for MAGic, your screen magnification software, for making details regarding the software, including version, serial number and authorization code, which are displayed on the packaging, accessible to technology specialists and users who use Braille as their primary reading medium. This has not only made MAGic as easy to set up as JAWS^®, it has also made paperwork and record keeping regarding its distribution to program participants easier.

"I also thank you for this because I feel that the more exposure people get to usable Braille is of benefit, just as usable speech is to those who use it to access their computers or to augment or complement magnification, especially since many users may be learning or using Braille while they use MAGic."

Author, Pastor, and Bible Teacher Praises the RUBY

Having already owned (and loved) JAWS screen reading software and our SARA^™ scanning and reading appliance, Earl Leonard Langguth wanted a portable magnfication solution. In December, he chose the RUBY handheld video magnifier.

"The RUBY is my essential companion whenever I leave home." he now says. "It is a superbly crafted handheld video magnifier ... that can be used as needed. RUBY enables me to deal with labels, restaurant menus, and other necessary visual challenges, wherever I may be. It varies from two to 14 (magnification) power, with the stages in between, in full color, monochrome, negative black and white, and blue-yellow choices. What is viewed can be captured for closer scrutiny. And the size is perfect, neither bulky nor too small. I do not leave home without it."

Senior Academic Writer Resumes Abandoned Work, Thanks to TOPAZ

As a writer for a design Web site (the Mayday Post), Jamie Lux doesn't often wax eloquent about access technology, but Jamie's father's new TOPAZ changed all that. "It was sad for my family and frustrating for him as he lost most of his vision over the past few years. He had to abandon work on a couple of books and couldn't keep reading others.”

Jamie even tried out the TOPAZ and was so impressed that the writer penned an article titled, Not an Infomercial: It's TOPAZ-tastic. Read the entire article and you, too, will be impressed.

Ordered for the Court: TOPAZ, ONYX, and SARA Testify for Legal Access

The Center for Legal and Court Technology, headquartered at the William and Mary College Law School, is dedicated to providing courtroom participants with "the visual and technological information they need in preparing for trial in any participating courtroom in the U.S.” As part of a nationwide Courtroom Information Project, the world leader in court technology demonstration, training and education, placed a TOPAZ desktop video magnifier, an ONYX^® Deskset portable video magnifier, and the SARA scanning and reading appliance in the college's McGlothlin Courtroom, the "heart of the Center for Legal and Court Technology.” The placement serves as a demonstration to accessible courtrooms throughout the nation to advance efforts for equal access to the legal system for the visually impaired. Read more in a graphic PDF version of the project newsletter.

TOPAZ Was the Right Choice

When student Yvonne Foong had to choose the best desktop video magnifier for her studies, she choose the TOPAZ. On Yvonne Foong's Web site, you can read how she compared competitive models and made her decision.

TOPAZ and ONYX Video Magnifiers: A Sweet System

"Video magnifiers have long been an important part of my patient evaluation. Freedom Scientific products definitely are great in performance. I really love the TOPAZ, and I love the ONYX Deskset. It’s a sweet system. I would recommend the entire line of Freedom Scientific low vision products.”
- Dr. Paul Anthony, OD - Springfield, Illinois

ONYX Flexible-arm Magnification Keeps the Business Open

"I continue to run a small business out of my home. The demands of running this business include a lot of work in an office-like setting and lots of back-and-forth transitioning from task-to-task - things that can’t practically be accomplished with a stationary video magnifier.

The ONYX Flexible-arm model fits my needs to a T. With it, I can continually change my attention from signs and calendars located across the room, to applications and papers on my desk, to the tabs on the files in my filing cabinets, and back again, so quickly and easily. The Auto Focus feature is great because it means that I don’t have to change settings when I move the camera back and forth. I just point the camera at what I need to see, and I get a clear magnified image. Its flexible arm allows me to position the camera so that virtually everything in the room is visually available to me.

The bottom line is that the ONYX Flexible-arm enables me to continue doing something that I love doing, something that’s important to me, and something that provides a valuable service. Without ONYX, I probably would have had to close up shop!

Thanks, Freedom Scientific, for yet another invaluable low vision solution!”
- Gerry Selin - Venice, Florida

TOPAZ Low Vision Magnifier Brings Joy to His Father's Heart

"The TOPAZ unit arrived today, and I quickly had it up and running for my father. We were both very pleased with the construction, ease of use, and high effectiveness. This was the first time in over a year he had been able to read any text without relying on a largely ineffective magnifying glass."
- Mark Sorkin - Fort Bragg, California

Eye Doctor Recommends Products for Macular Degeneration and Low Vision

"I recommend Freedom Scientific products. They are easy to use and provide great magnification, contrast, and clarity."
- Dr. Bonnie Eldredge - Langhorne, Pennsylvania

Walk-In Customer Thrilled with His TOPAZ

“I would like to say thank you very much for assisting my family in getting the TOPAZ Desktop Magnifier for my father. I wanted to let you know that your first walk-in client is very happy with his purchase. Once we picked the machine up, we went back to Orlando, set it up, and my father started putting it to good use. We understand that you don't have walk-ins, and we are were very appreciative of the help that we received. Thank you again for all of your help. ”
- Christine Hobbs, LTJG, MSC, USN - U. S. Naval Hospital, Guam