Diabetic eye disease
Assistive technology for diabetic retinopathy
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) affects the blood vessels of the retina and is part of what is often called diabetic eye disease. When it affects the macula it is called diabetic macular edema (DME). Vision can change and fluctuate, and every person’s experience is different.
Medical care comes first
Diabetic retinopathy is a medical condition that is monitored and treated by eye doctors, and early changes often cause no symptoms at all. Assistive technology sits alongside that care and never in place of it.
- Regular eye examinations, because early changes often have no symptoms
- Managing diabetes with the medical team who already know the person
- Prompt attention to any sudden change in vision
- Treatment decisions made by an eye doctor
What people often find difficult
Diabetic retinopathy can affect vision in several ways at once, and the picture can change over time. Two people with the same diagnosis can describe very different experiences.
Vision that fluctuates
Sight can vary between days or even within a day, so a setting that worked yesterday may need changing today.
Blurry, cloudy or indistinct vision
Many people describe a general blur or haze rather than a sharply defined missing area.
Dark or empty areas
Some people notice dark patches, drifting shapes or floaters in parts of the view.
Central detail
When the macula is affected by diabetic macular edema (DME), reading and fine detail can become difficult.
Reduced contrast
Similar tones can blend, which affects steps, edges, text on a busy background and food on a plate.
Difficulty seeing in low light
Dim and uneven lighting can make a familiar task noticeably harder, and glare can be uncomfortable.
Categories of low-vision technology
Different technologies help in different ways. Where vision fluctuates, being able to adjust settings easily tends to matter more than it would otherwise. An eye-care or low-vision professional can help someone explore the full range.
Vision rehabilitation
Practical training from low-vision professionals in using remaining vision for specific everyday tasks.
Optical aids
Magnifiers and filters that enlarge the view or change how it is presented.
Electronic magnification
Electronic magnifiers that enlarge an image and can adjust color and contrast.
Audio assistance
Screen readers and text-to-speech technology that present text as speech instead of as an image.
Lighting and contrast changes
Task lighting, large-print materials and high-contrast marking around the home.
Live-image processing glasses
Smart-glasses systems that process a live view and present it through displays near the eyes.
Everyday tasks people want help seeing
Starting from the task rather than the device makes it easier to tell whether something is actually helping.
- Seeing faces and expressions
- Reading print and labels
- Using a computer, phone or kiosk
- Watching television
- Seeing detail in different lighting
- Following a recipe or a form
Questions worth asking about any device
- What kind of visual or audio help does it actually provide?
- Which everyday tasks does the person most want to explore?
- How comfortable is it, and does it fit the person?
- Can it be operated hands-free or by voice?
- Does it need an internet connection?
- Does it work with a prescription?
- What training and ongoing support come with it?
- What is the total cost?
- Can it be tried hands-on before deciding?
Where fits
is a patent-pending vision-assistive smart-glasses system that processes a live view in real time. Six viewing modes give different starting points for daylight, low light, reading, computers and kiosks, edges and television, and Bella voice operation is included at no extra charge for supported functions. Settings can be changed while wearing the glasses, which matters when vision varies from day to day. Results vary.
What is
is vision-assistive technology. It is not a medical device or a treatment. It does not diagnose, treat, cure, correct or reverse diabetic retinopathy, and it does not replace an eye doctor or professional medical care. A diagnosis does not establish whether will be useful for a particular person. People with usable remaining vision can explore their own individual response through a hands-on fit check.
is not a mobility, navigation or safety device. Do not rely on it for driving, for walking in traffic, or for any activity where an altered view could create danger.
The honest way to know is to try
A diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy does not establish whether will be useful for a particular person. During an individual hands-on fit check, someone with usable remaining vision can explore different viewing options and settings using their own eyes and the tasks that matter to them. Results vary from person to person.
Contact us about a fit checkTrusted health-information sources
For general medical information about diabetic eye disease:
This page provides general educational information and does not provide medical advice. is vision-assistive technology, not a medical device or treatment, and does not replace care from an eye-care professional.