Meet the speaker: Helen Whitaker

The SILMO Academy by IOA will be taking place 12 April - 14 April in Singapore. Helen Whitaker will be talking about the changing world of low vision.

Sight loss is a major challenge around the world, both to the individual in terms of reduction of quality of life and independence and to society at large in terms of loss of income generation, costs of care and costs of (re)habilitation. Most causes of sight loss have age as the main risk factor. Increased life expectancy has led to sight loss having a greater prevalence in an increasingly digitised and communication-based world where visual input is the key to full participation.

Traditional approaches to low vision assessment have included the assessment of a patient’s visual needs and expectations (commonest disabilities include difficulties in reading, mobility, face recognition, domestic and work/hobby tasks), assessment of the best corrected acuities and the prescribing of optical magnification and non-optical contrast and locational assistance. Such assistance has optical limitations (field of view, distortion, adaptation challenges, limited target enhancement and so on).

The advent and wide availability of electronic systems capable of easy-to-use target presentation and adaptation (e-readers such as Kindles) and target capture and enhancement (tablets and smartphones with cameras or dedicated apps) has clearly demonstrated that many patients currently using or about to be prescribed traditional optical aids will benefit from (and indeed prefer) to use the electronic system instead. This is usually related to better image enhancement options, ease of use, portability, accessibility and increasingly, cost (might use hardware the patient already owns.

The development of dedicated systems (adaptive rather than the assistive adaptation of tablets and smartphones) has continued apace recently, from desktop and portable image/video magnification systems (EVES), electronic reading and OCR systems, to the very latest head-worn visor systems able to combine image and text recognition software, image enhancement, augmentation or even VR capability, and support this with audio/vibrational inputs. Add to this the options of Wi-Fi linkage and access to the internet, and such a device might be proposed as a highly sophisticated remedy for sensory deficit.

Key Points

• What patient pathways are currently in place for managing patients with Low Vision?
• What new models are being explored within Canada?
• What are the different types of modern alternatives to traditional optical low vision aids?
• How can patients be helped with adapting widely used existing technology?
• How can we educate ourselves to utilize every available free resource for patients?
• What is the Vision for managing Low Vision?

Helen Whitaker is International Optician of the year 2021, a title she wears with honor.

A woman who is passionate about her profession and takes pride in the services she is able to offer to all of her clients and students. As a licensed optician of 12 years, Helen’s mission is to provide affordable, professional prescriptive eye wear to everyone, as she firmly believes that eye wear should be accessible to all, irrespective of age, mobility or financial status.

Low Vision and the management thereof deserves devoted commitment from Eye Care Professionals, and Helen is determined to provide opportunities for understanding and utilization of all available products to patients.

Cultivating a connection within the communities Helen works and resides in, is paramount for her business. Providing clients with the best possible service, by bringing a wealth of knowledge and optical skills to each client interaction, Helen believes that accountability, professionalism and responsibility are the keys to success for Eye Care Entrepreneurs.

Helen is proud to be working hard to develop new business models that are profitable as well as sustainable, As the owner and Education Director for The Secure Vision Mobile Optical Academy, an education platform for aspiring mobile opticians. she is helping mobile optical businesses work for the entrepreneur and their clients. The Secure Vision Mobile Optical Academy is successfully providing an insight of systems that allow the optician to improve their life work balance and still produce exemplary results for the end user.

Outside of her mobile optical business and education platform, Helen can be found instructing emergency first aid for divers through the Divers Alert Network programs. A retired Diving Instructor, and now avid recreational cold water diver, Helen advocates for safe practices and education around diving activities.

The Little Ray of Hope Kindergarten School in Kwangware Nairobi, Kenya, where Helen previously volunteered and provided basic vision solutions to the children and staff is her first choice of charity. Allowing these children, the opportunity to experience some degree of corrected vision has been the most uplifting and rewarding experience for her.

Deeply grateful for the philanthropic opportunities she has been able to participate in, Helen is looking forward to visiting again in March 2024.

Helen has four adult children, and lives with her husband Bart in Powell River, British Columbia along with her two dogs, Buddy and Cherry.

Find out more about SILMO Academy by IOA here.