Through assistance from Vision Australia, Roger Noble has been able to reclaim his independence.
Roger lost the vision in one eye du to an accident 60 years ago, before a stroke in 2020 caused resulted in him losing much of his vision in his other eye.
It was after the stroke that Roger realised his life would significantly change.
“Going from two cars to no cars was the hardest thing for me to adapt to,” he said.
Living away from family meant Roger’s daughter had to make a four-hour round trip to take him to appointments, but now he’s embedded as a client of the Bendigo Vision Australia team, he’s learning new skills to be independent.
The first step for Roger was equipping him with a white cane and receiving the training to use it. Now he’s able to navigate outside of his home independently, and is even back taking his Cavalier King Charles spaniel for regular walks.
“The training with the cane was very thorough. There was the initial introductory session, but then there’s follow-ups and check-ins, it’s a level of care that I wasn’t expecting but that I really appreciated.”
“When my daughter first heard I’d be learning to use a cane she was in shock, said that I didn’t need it. Now that she’s seen what an impact it has made to my life she truly understands just how much better my life is with this kind of support.”
Caption: White cane training is one of the many support services offered by Vision Australia
Roger has also enrolled himself into a Vision Australia exercise class. The class currently operates over Zoom but it will hopefully return to in-person classes soon.
“The exercise classes are great not only for my health, but also as a social activity, keeping me connected to other people with similar conditions to my own.”
When he came to realise that he couldn’t read books as easily as he once could, Roger was quite dismayed. Thanks to the Vision Australia Library, that is no longer an issue.
“I always used to find audiobooks annoying.
“As my own vision deteriorated and I began to use them myself, I’ve found them more and more engaging and difficult to stop listening to.”
Vision Australia has also seen to it that Roger’s home is as safe as possible, adding aides such as bathroom rails to prevent falls.
Vision Australia is here to help you stay safe and independent, both at home and in the community. Find out more today.