March is workplace eye wellness month. Since most of us are now working from home, here are some things to look out for at your home office.
💻 Digital eyestrain – Fatigue, dry eyes, bad lighting, or how one sits in front of the computer can cause eyestrain. Symptoms of eyestrain include sore or irritated eyes and difficulty focusing.
⚠️ Retina damage – Studies suggest that continued exposure to blue light over time could lead to damaged retinal cells. This can cause vision problems such as age-related macular degeneration or cataract. Blue light is emitted from all the screens in your home like TVs, computers, iPads and phones, as well as LED and fluorescent lights.
The remedy? Limit your screen time! 📱
If you have to work on a screen, make sure the distance from the eye to the front surface of the computer screen is 20-40 inches.
Work in a well-lit room.
Take frequent eye 👀 breaks (every 30 minutes or so).
Lastly, make sure to spend some time outdoors 🌳 and wear sunglasses when it’s sunny out! 🕶️
Tax season is almost upon us – the deadline for filing is on April 15th, 2020.
Did you know you can claim an additional $1,000 exemption if you were considered legally blind on the last day of the tax year?
If you are married (or in a civil union) and are filing jointly and your spouse was considered legally blind on the last day of the tax year, they can claim an additional $1,000 exemption.
To claim these exemptions (for the first time), medical proof must be enclosed with your paper tax return. Documentation may be required at a later time if filing electronically.
What works as proof? A letter from your doctor stating that you are legally blind typically suffices. You can continue to claim the exemption in subsequent years without needing proof, if there is no drastic improvement in your ability to see.
Note that this exemption can not be claimed for a domestic partner or for your dependents.
The Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey has been closely monitoring the situation in regards to the global pandemic, as well as the guidelines set forth by the CDC and the government.
After careful consideration, we have made the decision to close all of our in-person programs for the foreseeable future. We have also canceled the upcoming Essential Low Vision One Day Program, scheduled for April 1st. The staff at VLANJ is currently working on finding ways to increase remote engagement with our students – we will communicate any updates accordingly. We are hoping to resume normal operations with our Spring Session, in a few weeks.
Thank you for your continued support of our programs. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us via e-mail at info@vlanj.org.
Jeffrey Tan, a senior at Dublin High School, created an innovative new display that allows people who have visual impairments read Braille on computer screens.
The display uses electro-tactile stimulation to create the feeling of reading Braille in the user’s fingers.
We know these are troubling times, causing anxiety for many of us. One way to remedy that is by meditating! (Bonus: it can be done from the comfort of your own home, and is great for social distancing.)
Meditation has been proven to lessen stress and anxiety, along with improving people’s quality of life by lowering levels of cortisol. Studies have also shown that relaxation programs with meditation can lower intraocular pressure – the pressure inside the eye. That’s fantastic news for people who have Glaucoma!
Click the link below for a 15-minute guided meditation video.
