Making writing easier to read

There are a couple of strategies low vision patients can use to have an easier time reading what they write. One strategy uses contrast. We recommend that our patients buy a pad of yellow paper. The paper comes with thin blue lines that most of our patients can no longer see. It is the yellow paper not the blue lines which is really most helpful. We then tell them to use a black medium point felt tip marker like Flair or Sharpie pens to do their writing. The pads of paper are pretty inexpensive so we tell them to use a whole sheet when writing. Our patients are literally amazed how much easier it is for them to read what they have written. For most people the black writing on yellow paper offers much more contrast than black ink on white paper.

Another approach is to use special paper. This paper has thick and colorful blue raised baselines that can easily be felt. Feeling the lines helps most people keep their writing within the lines and makes it more readable. Some of our patients need the tactile guide to help have an easier time writing.

Either approach makes writing notes, writing down information from a phone call and making shopping lists much easier to read. Simply being able to do things with more ease seems to make everything better.