The selma Times-Journal

Residents at the Lighthouse Nursing home will have a lot easier time reading after Visually Imparied Persons (VIP) loaned the home a video magnifier as part of their equipment program.

“We saw there was a need there,” William Bowman, head of VIP, said. “I could see the benefit from it.”

VIP loaned a video magnifier to the home to assist visually impaired residents with problems reading.

One resident promptly put it to use reading her Bible.

The device enhances and magnifies printed material and puts them on a video monitor for a reader to see it on.

“Without it they wouldn’t be able to read successfully,” Bowman said. “It’s very important.”

The equipment was donated by the family of Sen. Earl Goodwin, Bowman said.

It was the second placement of equipment by VIP since their loan program began last year, he said.

The first video magnifier, along with a software enhanced computer for the visually impaired, was loaned out to the George Washington Carver Nutrional Center on MLK Street.

Equipment is owned and maintained by VIP, which monitors its use regularly. Bowman said the equipment was loaned out as long as there was a need.

“As long as one person is using it,” he said, “our organization loaned it for them to use.”

The program depends on government grants and donations from private individuals, Bowman said.

“If there’s any family out there now that have any video magnifiers they don’t need, they can donate it to us for a tax write-off,” Bowman said.

For more information about donating equipment or money to VIP, contact Bowman at 334-354-4015.