Staying Connected: Telling Time

It's happened to all of us. A good friend you haven't spoken to in awhile phoned out of the blue. You were having such a great time catching up that you lost all track of time. The problem is you ended up 20 minutes late for an appointment. If only you'd had an audible reminder or discreet alarm. You could've ended the call and made it on time. Keeping track of time is essential to move through your day smoothly and the more ways you have to tell time, the better.

Did you know there are watches and clocks designed specifically for low vision? They have large numbers that are easier to see, alarms that are easier to set and a lot of them have different color displays so you can choose which one works best for you. Just make sure the hands are easy to see against the background.

For instance, a watch that has a dark or black face with white hands has better contrast so it's easier to see. And some of them come with a hand that counts seconds in addition to the hour and minute hands. Of course there are many digital display options these days and some low vision watches come with a backlight so you can use it when you're in a place that's dimly lit.

Oversized wall clocks are also a good option, but clocks or watches that use roman numerals are harder to see so try to avoid them. Also, removing any glass or plastic covers on clocks or watches can minimize glare. And sometimes just moving closer to the clock or moving your watch closer to your face is all you need to see better. So don't be afraid to experiment and try different ways to see your watch or clock. Who knows? You may discover something easier than what you've been doing.

You can even find talking watches and clocks. There are many options including female and male voices. Whichever you choose, make sure you're able to hear it clearly. For instance, can you tell whether you're hearing a.m. or p.m.? How about 15 versus 50? Sometimes the lower the voice, the easier it is to hear. If you can, experiment with a few until you land on one that works best for you.

Some talking clocks have alarms, some don't. Some even let you set multiple alarms. Some will chime every hour if you want. A lot of them will let you change the sound of the alarm to a rooster crow, a cuckoo or a series of beeps. There are even options called atomic clocks that automatically reset to daylight savings time changes.

The point is there are many ways to ease the burden of keeping track of time and many innovative devices from smartphones and speakers to tablets and computers and if you're interested, Hadley also has lots of workshops on various types of everyday technology to help you too.

As always, contact a learning expert if you have questions or your own tips to share and of course as with anything new, give yourself time, patience and practice and you'll get there.