Eye Glasses and Assistive Technology

Something that we've talked about in class which I find really interesting is what we define as a disability; particularly as we've talked about it when it comes to whether or not glasses count as assistive technology technology and whether or not a vision impairment that requires glasses is a disability.

I hope this blog counts, because it's not really about a disability so much as it's about an aspect of disability but I wanted to talk about it so!

I don't think wearing glasses counts as having a disability, and I think based on our conversations that most of the glass agree with me? But what I find really interesting is that glasses are considered assistive technology and knowing that made me have a "yikes" moment thinking about people who need more extensive assistive technology.

I don't feel that way because there's anything bad with assistive technology, but because glasses are cheap plastic and specially cut glass and they can get expensive as hell. Mine were never that bad as a kid, but recently they've gotten more expensive as my astigmatism gradually made my eyes worse. And my sister's glasses have always been expensive between her prescription and the bi-focals she needed. And my father's bi-focals and prescription was expensive, but it's been worse since he was in a car accident which required him to get specialty sunglasses in order to protect his sensitive eyes. All of us can be hundreds of dollars before our insurance is applied, and I've come to realize that I'm really lucky that eye-care insurance exists because a lot of health insurances don't cover costs for everything when it comes to disabilities.

And I can only imagine how that must add up because if my glasses are that expensive despite just being some cheap plastic or wire with glass in the center, I can't imagine how expensive a wheelchair of good quality - not even great quality or high quality but just one that works and doesn't break easily - or a nice cane or god forbid anything more extensive would cost?

The American Healthcare system is fucked.