A Bioptic User's View on Driving Transcript Start Title: A Bioptic User's View on Driving [music] Cindy Bachofer: Hi, my name is Cindy Bachofer. I am the low vision consultant at the Texas School for the Blind and the Visually Impaired, and I'm also coordinator for the In the Driver's Seat, Introduction to Safe Driving with Low Vision, which is a student/parent weekend workshop that we do each spring that presents options and a whole lot of information for parents and families to learn about being a driver with low vision. And today, I'm visiting with Sophia Sparks, who has just recently been prescribed a bioptic. And I'm gonna let her talk a little bit about her background on... being a driver, and not being a driver, and now being a driver with a bioptic. Sophia Sparks: OK, well, thank you very much, Miss Cindy. So, I have been visually impaired, now, for about four years, going on four years. Prior to that, I drove from the age of 16. Now I'm in my 30s. [giggles] So, I've been driving for quite a while. So, when I lost some of my vision, it was really a shock! So, it became, how do I get around? It was the... unacceptance-- Cindy: Mm-hmm. Sophia: Of the fact that I had a visual impairment, that I had this loss, that prevented me from seeing everything I need to see while I was on the road. Cause one thing that I can recall from driving for as many years as I have, is the fact that there's a lot of information I have to take in at one time. You know, when you're driving, you not only drive for yourself, but for everybody else who's around you. Cindy: Well said. Sophia: And especially here in Austin, you have these motorized scooters, you have these bicycle lanes, and the cyclists, and they do not like to follow the rules of the road. So, they have become... a little bit more of an obstacle. When I was driving, with vision, and now being low vision, it gives me some apprehension, because all of a sudden... there will be nothing to your right or your left-hand side, and you're driving along, you think you see everything, and then all of a sudden there's a person. And you just hear a noise. So, then it becomes-- you become reluctant. "Oh, my goodness!" Making sure I don't hit anybody. Did I see everything? Am I taking in all of the information that I need to take in? So, as going from a driver to a non-driver, those are some of the things that give me pause... some days, when I'm trying to actually drive and I make the decision, "Is this a good day for me to drive?" Cindy: And you're doing practice driving, right now, with your husband at the wheel and your telling him what to do? Or you are at the wheel? Sophia: I'm doing a little bit of both. Cindy: OK. You still have your license? Sophia: I still have a valid driver's license. So, when we actually practice, when I'm behind the wheel, I always do it.-- we do it in our neighborhood. We pick the neighborhood because I know, mentally know the neighborhood. So, it's not a lot of thought process in the driving aspect. So, it's safer that way. But not only that, we also thought about the timeframes. When our individuals mostly in their homes? When are they outside? And we picked the time for me to practice when people are inside their homes. So, that way he can give me feedback, we can talk, and we can get all of this information, and I can make more informed decisions as I'm driving. And then, there are times when I'm just in the passenger seat, and I'll have on my bioptic-- like I have on right now-- and he'll be driving, and I'll try to actually view street signs, exit signs, and... those have been a little bit more challenging. Because he's driving so fast. Some of the roads here in Texas, you can go up to 75 miles an hour. So, trying to look at an exit before you get to it-- Cindy: At 75 miles an hour! [chuckles] Sophia: Poses a huge challenge! So, you usually I'm asking him, "Can you slow down a little bit? Are you really-- I wasn't able to get that... that particular exit sign." So... it becomes-- Cindy: A recovery move. Sophia: Yes! [giggling] Cindy: We do a recovery move. Sophia: So-- and I can't ask him, "Can you back up?" Cindy: No. Not on the highway! [chuckling] Sophia: That way I could see it. [chuckling] Cindy: Not on many streets either. So, yeah. Sophia: So, that's one of the biggest challenges, is going either the speed limit, and or the flow of traffic-- Cindy: Flow of traffic. Sophia: And getting all the information, reading-- being able to read all the signs that I need to read, and being able to read them at a rate so I can make an informed decision about my driving. Cindy: What to do as a driver. And it's you as well as anyone around you. Sophia: Exactly. And not only that, another apprehension-- that I have now being low vision-- is being able to see construction workers. Cindy: Mm-hmm. Sophia: : Because with my vision, I really don't have much vision out of my left eye. Cindy: OK. Sophia: Everything is a blur... irregardless of how close it is, how big it is, it's a blur. Cindy: OK. Sophia: : So most of my vision comes out of my right eye. Cindy: Mm-hmm. Sophia: So, with my right eye, you know, I am legally blind in that eye. So, I'm at 20/200 as my visual acuity. In addition to that, I don't have much of a field of vision. So that's reduced-- [talking over each other] Sophia: So, I meet their driver requirements of that. So, if I'm behind, say for instance, a Mack truck or 18 wheeler, and there is a construction worker further up, I wouldn't be able to see him. Cindy: OK. Sophia: I want to be able to see whether or not he's giving the signs; slowdown, you stop right now. So, he might have slowed down for the Mack truck, and then when he switches it, he might switch it for me to say 'stop,' but I won't be able to see that in time. So, those are some of the apprehensions that I have with driving, and the comparisons between being a driver with, quote unquote, full vision and now being a driver with, quote, low vision. Cindy: And you're expecting to start your training with being a driver with the bioptic in-- Sophia: in April- April. Cindy: Yes, about two months. Less than two months. Any other-- besides the highway kind of apprehensions-- that you having had previous driving experience, and now knowing this is a different-- "I'm a different driver now!" Sophia: Yes. Cindy: Inside, say, business area or city driving. Sophia: City driving-- more so the pedestrians. Cindy: OK. Sophia: Pedestrians don't like to follow the rules of the road either. [giggling] Jaywalking is really a big problem in the city of Austin. Cindy: Yes. Sophia: But not only that, the headlights. Cindy: OK. Sophia: So, a lot of the lights... everyone's, you know, visual impairment is different. Cindy: Mm-hmm. Sophia: But for mine, really, a little bit of light is perfect amount of light for me. Cindy: So you like reduced-- Sophia: I like reduced lighting. Cindy: So, driving earlier in the morning, dusk-- Sophia: and dawn-- Cindy: Exactly! Sophia: Are my most preferable times of driving. Cindy: So, you've had a lot of practice. Sophia: Yes. Cindy: This is essential [chuckles] for somebody who's new to using a bioptic. Sophia: Yes. Yes. Thinking, driving-- all go hand in hand. You have to be able to process the information. Cindy: Quick decision making. Sophia: Quick, very quick decision making-- under pressure. [laughing]Staying calm-- Cindy: Tons of pressure. Yes. In that vehicle. OK. Thank you. Sophia: Thank you very much. Title: On Foot with a Bioptic [traffic sounds] Sophia: I want to make sure that I leave enough time for the car... to respond, and for me to respond, and not, maybe, either ride up on their bumper, or go through their bumper, because I did not give myself enough distance-- enough time to react. Cindy: You're doing that just with your vision and the glasses. Sophia: Just with my vision and my glasses. So, then the way that I do that, with my vision and my glasses, is... I rarely look through the actual magnifier, itself. The bioptic scope, itself. What I do is I keep my head tilted upward, so that way I look under the actual bioptic scope. So, that way I can see what's going on. And I use only the bioptic to actually, like, really gauge-- read street signs. Is there's something in the road that I can hear, and I'm like, I really don't know what that is. I will tell my head downwards. So, that way I can look through the scope. So, that way I can see whatever that is. So, because I can see larger objects, I just count. So, as a car is driving past the pole, I will look at the pole, through my bioptic, come up and say, "OK, who's there?" When that bumper hits the pole, I will count one, two, three, four, five, and I can figure out when I approach that same exact... stationary object. And that will let me know my traveling distance that I have to myself in that car, and whether or not I need to decelerate-- do I give myself more space between that car, or... can I maintain, and can I actually speed up? So, that's one of the ways that I use my bioptic. Cindy: So sitting at this intersection, thinking, OK. Sophia: So, the gigantic yellow billboard, that one is easy. Beyond that one, I can tell is either apurple or blue color. But as far as, like, making out the exact words. No. But I could actually draw the shape. Beyond that, there is an actual... light pole, and beyond that, there is a white billboard with B-- It looks to be black writing... on the top. And then beyond that, I can see the next light. So, the next block where there's an actual traffic light. And I could see the right traffic light. So, one thing that I do, as I'm a passenger, is I notice a lot of the signs. If you look at a lot of restaurants and establishments, their signage is very unique to their establishment. So, I learn their signage. So, that way I know, "OK. I see this white billboard... with blue purplish writing. I know this is the establishment I need. I don't need to read the actual words on the actual sign, itself. I know my landmarks. So, learning all of my intersections, especially if it's gonna be a... route that I travel frequently, making sure I can calculate-- As a passenger, I would drive that with someone, many times, using my actual biotic, looking around, figuring out how far it is between point A to point B. What are the things that are usually between those two points. Cindy: Kind of your mental map of unknown-- unanticipated of what's coming-- Sophia: Exactly. Mental map. So, that way-- And the reason why I collected the mental map, is that way it takes less work out of trying to drive. Followed the rules! Very important! Although not everybody follows the rules. That's why you have to drive, not only for yourself, but for all the other cars. And that's why you need to take-- do the preparation, and take that guesswork... out! As much as you can, pre-plan. Look at it on Google Maps, and do the satellite imagery. So, that way you can see how things are laid out. And that's something else you can do, before you get in the passenger seat. Cindy: You've already visit that block. Cindy: And you can always-- Yes, exactly! Already visited! 360-view and figuring out what is going on here and now. Title: Driving with a Bioptic Lynne McAlister: OK, now we're going to just make a loop around the school. Sophia: Okay. So it's always better, at least for me, is to transfer those on skills, where they tell you to look at the traffic pattern, and take the... the safest route, which might not always be the shortest route. It might be the longer route. However, it will be the safest route. So, that's one thing I also practice... when I'm learning this bioptic-- when just driving, now, in general. Especially with my eye condition-- sometimes silver and white cars-- I do not like those two colors any longer, just because they fade. It doesn't matter the time of day, they always fade out on me. So, another thing that I've noticed about using the bioptic, it's similar to using your rear-view-- your side-view mirror, "Objects always appear closer than what they actually are!" [chuckling] So, that's always an adjustment, trying to figure out... exactly how far an object is. So, to calculate that in, so that way I know when we're actually making the turn-- do I have enough distance between myself and the object I just saw? Do I have that, like, as we're pulling up to the car in front of us-- it already looks like we're on our bumper, but when I come out of the bioptic, I can actually tell the actual depth. The traffic is actually light today. Lynne: So, we're going to get off at Steck. Sophia: At Steck, OK. So, I'm am looking through the bioptic. One, two, three, four, it's the fourth one... on. So, Steck, there's a half a while. [indiscernible] Nope, that's Far West. [indiscernible] Nope, Spicewood and Spring road is coming up. A bunch of places to eat. So, Steck is a half a mile. So, we have another car... merging. But he sped up, so he went in front of us, which is nice. So, because I know that exit signs are always green-- and here is Steck Avenue. Merging over one lane, because... the lane that we immediately got in on Steck, actually ran out. So, that would be another good thing to know. So, that way I would pre-plan, instead of having to try to merge... over one to the left. As soon as I turn on Steck, I would immediately have gotten in the middle lane, because I know that would have continued straight, and when I even think about anything else. Another thing I never do, now, [phone chimes] that I wear bioptics, and I'm visually impaired and driving. I don't blast the radio. Because one thing, just-- again, just like with O&M, where you-- where we do a lot more listening... to what's going on in our environment, which you're listening and what you're hearing, while you're driving can also give you a lot of clues about what's going on ahead of you. And what's going on around you. So, always, always [snickers] have the volume lower in your radio- on your radio, just so you can hear what's going on. So, although I can't see the cars to the right of us, I can hear them. I can hear how fast they're going. I can hear the white car when it was actually braking. I can actually hear this. I can tell they're slowing down. So, there's either an obstruction, or there's a light, and the light's red, up above. So, that way I know is something occurs, I can't get over to my right, cause I can hear the car coming up on the right-hand side. So, always keep listening eye out. Lynne: You got it! Sophia: Okay. Lynne: That was an adventure! Sophia: Yeah! [indiscernible voices] Thank you very much. [Silence] Fade up from black. Animation: Text for TSBVI transform into braille cells for TSBVI. Fade to black.