'It helps me read'

View larger image Austin Dykes, 8, of Fishers Hill, uses his VideoEyes magnification unit that was recently given to him by the Strasburg Lions Club. Austin, who is legally blind, uses the system that features a viewing head mounted on an extendable arm and allows reading material or objects under it to be magnified on a screen. Austin is a third-grade student at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Strasburg. Rich Cooley/Daily

Legally blind 8-year-old aided by donated closed circuit television

By Kaitlin Mayhew -- kmayhew@nvdaily.com

STRASBURG -- Eight-year-old Austin Dykes has worn glasses since he was 10 months old.

Today, he is legally blind with his glasses on.

Dykes has nystagmus, a condition that makes the eyes move back and forth involuntarily.

Sonia Dykes, his mother, said Austin also has astigmatism and ocular continuous albinism. All three conditions contribute to his poor vision.

Sonia said the difficulty with his sight frequently prevented Austin from keeping up with his classmates in school and improving his reading level.

But recently, that has changed.

Austin was the recipient last month of a closed circuit television donated by the Strasburg Lions Club.

The machine hooks onto a regular television set and allows Austin to project books or anything else up onto the screen. He can then magnify the images or words until he can see them.

Bobbi Polling, president of the Strasburg Lions Club, said the machine was donated by the late Joseph Ryman family. She estimates it is probably worth around $4,000.

"I think they knew we could eventually find someone who could use it," said Richard Leith, vice president of the club.

Polling said as soon as she met Austin when they had set up a sight and hearing van at Sandy Hook Elementary, she knew they had found the perfect recipient.

"He was the guest of honor at our Christmas party, and that's when we presented it to him," she said.

Mrs. Dykes said she has seen a difference in his reading and math ability since he received the machine Dec. 7.

"If he could, he would use it every evening," she said. "He talks about it all the time."

Austin said he has always liked school, but that he likes it even more since he's been able to use the device.

"It helps me read," he said.

Austin said he enjoys reading mystery and fantasy stories the most.

In school, his disabilities require him to sit in the front of the class and as close to the board as possible, but sometimes, that still isn't enough.

Austin said this can be the case particularly in math class.

"It's kind of difficult and easy," he said. "Sometimes it's hard to get the problems right when they're big numbers and I can't really see them."

Being able to bring his homework home and work on it under the magnifier has helped him immensely.

Polling said this is the first time the Strasburg Lions Club has been able to distribute such a high-tech piece of equipment. The club usually focuses on hearing aids, glasses and repairs for those who can't afford them.

"As president I hope we can do enough fundraising and have enough in the budget to do more things like this," she said.

However, she did say that if the time comes when Austin needs a seeing-eye dog, "the Lions will send him one."