Category: Low Vision Glasses

Glasses for Stroke or Brain Injury (Updated 2026)

Posted on by midwestlowvision

Losing half your vision after a stroke or brain injury is more than just a diagnosis on paper. It can make everyday activities more difficult, like navigating a crowded store, noticing a person approaching from the side, or even just walking through a doorway. For people struggling with side vision loss, finding ways to adapt is incredibly important, and one option that can help is Side Vision Awareness Glasses. In this article, we discuss what these specialized lenses are and answer some frequently asked questions. 

What Are Side Vision Awareness Glasses?

Side Vision Awareness Glasses®, or SVAGs, were developed by Dr. Errol Rummel of Jackson, NJ, after years of treating people with stroke-related, or brain injury-related hemianopsia. Hemianopsia is the clinical term for the loss of half the width of your field of vision; it is one of the most common side effects of a stroke or traumatic brain injury. 

Side Vision Awareness Glasses are specialized low vision glasses that use built-in prism technology to expand the field of vision for patients with peripheral vision loss. 

There are multiple benefits of SVAGs, including:

  1. A wide viewing area, allowing better field awareness. And because SVAGs have a vertical edge, a patient just needs to move their eyes a couple of millimeters to get into the SVAG area of the lens. 
  2. A discreet appearance because the front of the lens is smooth, making the area with prism barely noticeable.
  3. A higher index of refraction. SVAGs are thinner, lighter, and more comfortable than other types of hemianopsia glasses.

The goal is not to make the blind area disappear; it is to improve awareness, navigation, safety, and confidence using the vision that remains.

How the London Bridge would look to someone with a hemianopsia
How the London Bridge would look to someone with a hemianopsia
Side Vision Awareness Glasses in Bloomington, IN | Midwest Low Vision
Notice the prism on the right lens of this pair of SVAG.

Who is a Candidate for SVAGs?

A potential candidate commonly has:

  • Stable right- or left-sided visual-field loss.
  • Enough intact vision to recognize information redirected by the prism.
  • Difficulty detecting people, doorways, carts, furniture, curbs, or other objects on the affected side.
  • Sufficient attention and cognitive ability to learn how the shifted image should be interpreted.
  • A realistic functional goal and willingness to practice.

Patients with significant visual neglect, uncontrolled diplopia, severe cognitive impairment, or difficulty understanding the prism image may have more trouble using the system. Hemianopia and visual neglect are not the same condition, although they can occur together. A careful neurological and functional assessment is essential.

How are SVAGs prescribed?

SVAGs are not an off-the-shelf pair of glasses. The evaluation should include:

  • Confirmation and characterization of the visual-field defect.
  • Assessment of visual acuity, ocular alignment, contrast, cognition, and visual attention.
  • Discussion of specific functional problems.
  • Demonstration of different prism configurations.
  • Observation of the patient using the system during realistic tasks.
  • Custom measurements and lens fabrication.
  • Training and follow-up after dispensing.

General eye care practitioners do not have to prescribe the system themselves. Their most important role may be recognizing the functional problem and referring the patient to a low-vision or neuro-optometric practitioner experienced with hemianopia rehabilitation.

What Do Side Vision Awareness Glasses Look Like?

From a distance, SVAGs can look similar to conventional prescription glasses. Up close, another person may notice a vertical line where the standard lens area meets the prism portion.

These lenses generally appear less conspicuous than temporary Fresnel prisms. However, cosmetics should be a secondary consideration. The more important questions are whether the patient can interpret the shifted image, use it without excessive confusion, and gain meaningful functional awareness.

New Design: Exclusive to Midwest Low Vision

Typically, these glasses have a prism on the back of the lens so that someone can use it when they need to by shifting their eyes to the left or the right. However, Dr. Rummel generously gifted Dr. Jarrod Long a set of his brand new full-field side vision awareness glasses. They work similarly to the standard SVAG but the entire lens is specially designed to shift the missing part of your vision into view. This expands a person’s awareness of objects in their path and enhances peripheral vision. Currently, Midwest Low Vision is one of the only practices in the Midwest with the full field SVAG.

New Full-Field SVAG design

This picture shows a pair of the new full-field glasses. Notice how there is no extra attachment on either lens- instead, the entire lens is designed to adjust the field of view. You can see how the lens shifts the image of the eye chart to the left. This specific type of lens is ideal for someone missing their right visual field. The new design allows someone to see more of their side vision without compromising the view right in front of them.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do SVAGs differ from Peli peripheral prism glasses? 

The two systems redirect information from the blind side, but they use different optical arrangements. SVAGs use a vertically oriented prism area beside the central viewing area, requiring the wearer to deliberately look briefly into the side prism area. They usually have a faint vertical dividing line between the conventional lens and prism area, and are intended to provide a relatively large, clear area through which the shifted scene can be inspected.

In contrast, Peli peripheral prisms use prism segments above and below the central line of sight to provide peripheral awareness while central vision remains unobstructed. They may begin with visible Fresnel press-on segments and later be made as permanent prism segments, and they are intended primarily to alert the wearer to objects in the blind-side peripheral field.

SVAG developers report better optical clarity and contrast than Fresnel press-on prisms. That comparison is optically plausible because Fresnel material introduces blur and contrast loss, but it should not be presented as proof that SVAGs are superior to permanent Peli lenses. The Peli design has substantially more peer-reviewed clinical research supporting its use as a mobility aid. Community studies found that some patients continued using Peli prisms because they were helpful for obstacle avoidance, although not everyone adapted or continued wearing them.

Therefore, the best system is not determined by appearance or prism power alone. It depends on the patient’s field loss, visual processing, cognition, mobility needs, ability to learn the system, and response during an in-office trial.

They require training and practice. Initially, the shifted image may feel unfamiliar, displaced, or confusing. The wearer must learn:

  1. To recognize an image appearing in the prism area.
  2. To use it as an alert rather than assuming the object is in the apparent location.
  3. To turn the eyes and head toward the object.
  4. To confirm its actual position through the clear portion of the lens.
  5. To incorporate the technique into walking, shopping, social situations, and other daily activities.

A properly prescribed device should be paired with structured instruction—not simply dispensed with the expectation that the patient will “figure it out.”

Can SVAGs be worn all day?

Some people may wear them for extended periods, while others use them primarily for mobility or visually complex environments.

The right wearing schedule depends on the design and the patient’s goals. Prism field-expansion systems may be less helpful for sustained reading, computer work, or other detailed central tasks. Some patients benefit from a separate pair of glasses for walking and daily mobility.

Can SVAGs help someone qualify to drive?

Possibly in isolated cases, but these glasses should never be described as a route to “passing the vision test.”

Driver-licensing requirements vary by jurisdiction, and many people with homonymous hemianopia do not meet the required horizontal visual field. A prism may increase awareness without restoring the underlying field or automatically satisfying a licensing standard.

Oblique Peli prisms can provide approximately 30 degrees of expansion in parts of the visual field and have been studied in driving-related detection tasks. Research found that peripheral prisms, particularly when combined with perceptual-motor training, improved blind-side hazard detection in a driving simulator. That does not prove that every wearer is safe to drive or legally qualified. Peripheral prisms and driving-simulator detection

Any discussion of returning to driving should include:

  • Current state licensing requirements.
  • Formal binocular visual-field testing.
  • Assessment of visual attention, processing speed, cognition, and motor function.
  • Training in prism use when applicable.
  • Evaluation by a certified driver rehabilitation specialist.
  • Behind-the-wheel assessment and approval by the licensing authority when required.

In Indiana, the BMV may require documentation from an optometrist or ophthalmologist and may apply restrictions such as corrective lenses, additional mirrors, or daylight-only driving. The BMV—not the prescribing doctor or the glasses—makes the licensing determination.

Conclusion

Dr. Long is specially trained to prescribe and dispense the right pair of glasses for you or your loved ones. If this sounds like something that would improve your quality of life, please call for more information!

A woman tries out fused executive bifocals, a type of low vision glasses for reading.

Low Vision Glasses for Reading

Posted on by midwestlowvision


Low Vision Reading Glasses Guide from Midwest Low Vision

For patients with low vision, the loss of ability to read print can be challenging and disheartening, impacting work, household tasks, independence, and overall quality of life. Fortunately, there are specialized reading glasses that can support remaining vision and allow reading to be possible for these individuals once again. As low vision specialists or other eye care professionals, our task is to identify the type of low reading glasses that would best meet the patient’s needs. Read on to learn more about the most common categories of low vision glasses for reading.

 

Bifocal

Bifocals, a type of low vision reading glasses

The first option is simply strong standard bifocals or reading glasses. Often, simple prescription reading glasses with prisms incorporated and made by a local lab can work. You can also use a bifocal and perhaps decenter the segments a bit to create some base-in prism to aid convergence (eye teaming). The advantages of bifocals and prismatic reading glasses are:

  • They are simpler in design.
  • They are less expensive.
  • They provide a wide field of view.
  • They are binocular, allowing the use of both eyes together..

The main limitation of bifocals and stronger reading glasses is the working distance. The stronger the prescription, the closer the focal point needs to be, so there is a limit to the strength we can go with these low vision glasses.

 

Prismatic Segment Bifocal

Prismatic bifocals offer an alternative to decentering standard bifocals by incorporating a built-in, base-in prism into the glasses. These can have the D-shaped segment in the bottom, but with the appropriate base-in prism. This design provides the necessary prism for comfortable near vision without affecting distance vision, which is particularly beneficial in the higher powers.

 

Fused Executive Bifocal

Fused executive bifocal low vision reading glasses

Fused executive bifocal glasses consist of two lens segments fused together, one atop the other. They are called “executive” or “Franklin-style” because, like Ben Franklin’s original design, the lens goes all the way across the width of the frame. The design of these low vision glasses provides:

  • The option for different strengths of prism in the top and bottom.
  • A very large reading area at the bottom, and all the way across the lens.

The disadvantage of fused executive lenses is that they can be a little blurry at the lower edge of the lens; the distortion becomes greater with higher powers.

 

Clear-Image Microscopic and Prismatic

Clear image microscopic reading glasses for low vision

The Clear Image, two-piece microscopic and prismatic design, a system for a poorer vision level, provides greater edge-to-edge clarity. These lenses feature a two-piece design where the prism is offset in the magnifying lens, effectively reducing many distortions which normally occur with prisms and strong magnifying lenses.

The advantages of this design include:

  • Clear edge-to-edge vision with a two-piece system.
  • Extra prism support for higher powers.

The disadvantages of these lenses include:

  • Cosmetic concerns due to the lens thickness.
  • The need for a close working distance.
  • Limited strength before prism thickness begins to restrict wearability.

I will use these when a patient needs, or just prefers, to have both eyes working together and doesn’t mind this close-up working distance. Looking from edge-to-edge in this lens it is extremely clear, and the binocularity is excellent.

 

Reading Telescopic

Reading telescopic glasses

Reading telescopic glasses feature miniature telescopes to enhance near or immediate vision. The telescopes are mounted low and angled down to allow for comfortable close work. They can also be mounted on-center for computer use.

There are many different styles of near telescopic lenses. One model is the Ocutech SightScope NearView. Essentially, this is their distance system, but it includes prismatic caps that allow focus on near tasks. When distance vision is required, the caps can be flipped up and out of the way.

Another model is the Designs for Vision reading telescopic system. These lenses allow for an increased working distance compared to a microscope of a similar power, while still achieving an effective level of magnification.

In general, the advantages of the near telescopic glasses are:

  • A defined working distance.
  • Excellent edge-to-edge clarity.
  • Availability of a binocular or monocular system.

 

Microscopic Bifocal

Microscopic bifocal low vision glasses for reading

This system is very similar to a Clear Image, full-diameter microscope, but it’s smaller and can be built in as a bifocal. There are two different sizes: Type R is the larger size, and Type E is the smaller.

The advantages of these lenses are:

  • As the microscope is incorporated into the bifocal, a patient can just wear these, and the microscope is always there, but out of the way when not in use.
  • The lens offers high magnification with edge-to-edge clarity.

The disadvantage of the microscopic bifocal is a smaller field of view and the working distance must be very close.

 

Conclusion

There are a variety of low vision glasses to help people regain the ability to read and perform close-up tasks, and every option comes with unique advantages and disadvantages. The best choice depends on the patient’s needs and comfort with working distance and design. Careful selection of the appropriate lens can significantly improve a patient’s quality of life and independence. If you would like to learn more, get in touch with us today.