Check out "The Beacon" every Sunday from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on WCPT (820-AM & FM).
Listen to Tom Perski discuss his picks on the "Tom's Corner" segment of "The Beacon" radio program.

2011

June 2011

Advances In Low Vision Technology  from The Journal & Topics Newspapers

Technological innovations are enabling people who are experiencing vision loss to do things that would have been inconceivable just a few years ago. "This technology, often referred to as low vision technology, can allow a person to read their mail, write checks, letters or greeting cards, use a computer and even find their way walking in an unfamiliar area," said Tom Perski, senior vice president of rehabilitation services at The Chicago Lighthouse who is coping with macular degeneration himself. Perski adds that these technological devices are showcased in The Lighthouse's new Tools for Living Store. "There are several categories of low vision technology that help people with visual impairments perform many everyday tasks," he said, pointing to the following devices. Video magnifiers that enlarge printed material onto a flat screen monitor. For instance, placing your mail underneath a camera on a sliding tray allows a person with even the most severe vision loss to enlarge the letters from 2x to over 50x the normal size. By sliding the tray under the camera with some practice, a person can learn to read again. Call 1-800-919-3375 to receive newsletters and invitations to The Lighthouse's free Low Vision Technology Shows that take place in the Northwest suburbs. Visit the new "Tools for Living" retail store Monday-Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Lighthouse main building, 1850 W. Roosevelt Rd., Chicago.

Chicago Lighthouse Store Helps Northwest Suburban Resident Cope with Vision Loss
When John M. Rotan, a resident of the northwest suburbs experiencing vision loss, came to The Chicago Lighthouse’s Tools for Living Store, he wasn’t prepared for the technological innovations designed to make life easier for him and others.

“It is absolutely amazing to see the wide assortment of products, including software and small print magnifiers, that are now available,” he smiles. 
Click here to read more

May 2011

Road Shows Provide A Guiding Light For Visually Impaired   from The Journal & Topics Newspapers

An elderly woman finds a CCTV that will enable her to read a newspaper A man is able to purchase a new talking watch for his 85 ycar oId father whose eyesightis fading fast A mom finds a white cane for her 16 year old son who is blind. Click here to read more

April 2011
Chicago Lighthouse’s Low Vision Products Road Shows Help Customers with Visual Impairments
An elderly woman is able to find a CCTV that can help her continue to read the daily newspapers.  A man is able to purchase a new state-of-the-art talking watch for his 85 year old father whose eyesight is fading fast.  A mom finds a white cane for her 16 year old son who is totally blind.
Click here to read more

March 2011
Chicago Lighthouse Store Offers Hope in Combating Effects of Macular Degeneration
Reading a daily newspaper, driving at night, or even inspecting the ingredients listed on a can of vegetables at the supermarket. These everyday tasks are taken for granted by most Americans except when they are coping with age related macular degeneration.

According to the American Society of Retinal Specialists, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a chronic condition that causes central vision loss.  It occurs when the macula—the central portion of the retina that is important for reading and color vision—becomes damaged.  The disease affects millions of Americans and is a leading cause of blindness in people 60 and older,
Click here to read more

February 2011
Lighthouse Low Vision Technology Show featured in Chicago Tribune Suburban Edition
After searching for an easy-to-read thermostat for her mother, who has macular degeneration, Mary Jo Vincent came across the Chicago Lighthouse, a social service agency for the blind and visually impaired. Vincent, Palos Hills’ resources and recreation commissioner, was so thrilled with the plethora of technology offered by the Chicago organization that she invited representatives to the village to showcase some of the items. Click here to read more.

2010

October 2010

Chicago Tribune Profiles Lighthouse Building Dedication
On a recent autumn day, sunlight shone through the Chicago Lighthouse store, which sells foldable canes, talking crayons, high-tech magnification gadgets and other products designed for the visually impaired. At the center of the store is Tom's Corner, a small table and consultation space where customers learn about the products that can make life a little easier. The new store is the first place clients stop after visiting the recently renovated low-vision clinic nearby, said Tom Perski, facilitator of the Corner.
Click here to read more.

September 2010

HumanWare Helps Chicago Lighthouse
Humanware, a world leader in technology for the blind and visually impaired made a commitment to support the Chicago Lighthouse “Tools for Living” Retail Store.  Pictured is Renee Gosselin, Corporate sales Director from Humanware, presenting a check for $2,800 to Diane Perski, Business Manager of the Retail Store.  HumanWare’s donation helped to support a recent mailing to thousands of visually impaired persons in the Midwest.  “It is so important to let others know where they can find help, and we thank Humanware for standing with us in our mission” said Diane Perski.
Click here to read more.

August 2010

 'Tools for Living' Store Profiled in Retail Merchandiser

Our newly designed "Tools for Living" retail store was profiled in the July-August issue of Retail Merchandiser, a national publication designed to inform the movers and shakers in the retail industry how to make better business decisions. The three page spread paid tribute to the strategies employed by The Chicago Lighthouse to effectively serve consumers who are blind or visually impaired.

June 25, 2010

Lighthouse Monthy E-news: features recent coverage of the Tools for Living Store

June 13, 2010

Chicago Lighthouse Tools for Living Retail Store Profiled on ABC-7 Chicago Morning News
Shopping for adaptive living tools can be challenging for people with disabilities and their families. The Chicago Lighthouse for People who are Blind or Visually Impaired came up with a solution. Two months ago, a state-of-the-art tools for living store opened in the front of Chicago Lighthouse.
Click here to view the video

June 12, 2010

Lighthouse Tools for Living Store and Low Vision Clinic Featured in Chicago Sun-Times articles
Bob Kemp is once again enjoying his nightly reading with the help of the Intel Reader -- a handheld device that lets people who are blind or visually impaired convert text into audio. "If you go right through the guidebook, the Reader is easy to learn to use, and it's been a great help," said Kemp, 85, a South Side native and Hillside resident who suffers from macular degeneration.
Click here to read more

April 16, 2010

Chicago Lighthouse’s New Tools for Living Store Offers "State of the Art" Shopping Experience 
An unparalleled shopping experience awaits customers who are blind or visually impaired at the Chicago Lighthouse’s newly unveiled, state of the art Tools for Living Store located at 1850 W. Roosevelt Rd on the city’s near west side.
Click here to read more

January 27, 2010

A Cell Phone That Reads; The Chicago Lighthouse Is An Official Dealer of the knfbReader
Available through The Chicago Lighthouse, the knfbReader Mobile is a cell phone which enables reading for the blind, visually impaired, and even people with learning disabilities. The knfbReader Mobile is produced through a joint venture between Kurzweil Technology Inc. and the National Federation of the Blind. Supported through the Nokia N82 cell phone, the technology recognizes photographed text, converts it into digital text, and then reads it back to the user.
Click here to read more