Visibility Vol 9 Issue 1 & 2, 2015

Clients with low vision can receive training to use either CCTV video magnifiers, or optical magnification devices (e.g., hand-help magnifiers, telescopes) to help improve reading performance by up to 200%. The recent development of electronic reading devices (e.g., Apple iPad) offers an alternative reading magnification solution for low vision clients. A few studies have explored the use of the Apple iPad as a reading device in low vision;1 yet have done so without controlling for the content of the text (e.g., number of words, complexity of text), comprehension, and without any background questions on language proficiency. Such factors are known predictors of reading rate. Here we address the deficiencies of previous studies to assess the iPad in comparison to other reading assistive technologies.