Due in a large part to America's aging population, the number of people in this country who suffer from vision problems is increasing at an alarming rate. According to the National Eye Institute, 1 million Americans over the age of 40 are now blind; another 2.4 million are visually impaired. The most common causes of these vision problems are diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, cataracts and glaucoma.

Tom Dougherty of Duluth, Minn., who is now 88, says he has been steadily losing his vision over the past 15 years not due to disease, but old age. "Every year I go back to the eye doctor and he strengthens my prescription, but my glasses don't work as well as they used to," he says.

When he realized his vision was starting to fail, he turned over the business management of his company, the Dougherty Funeral Home in Duluth, Minn, to his son; but he still goes into the office almost every day, and surfing the Internet has become a popular pastime.

His son increased the size of the font on the screen so he could read the text. But because he never learned how to touch type, Dougherty stopped sending e-mails to friends and family as his vision got worse. His daughters, who live out of town, took notice. "Know what they did for me?" he asks. "They found me a keyboard with large 1-inch square keys which were easier to see."

The Vision Board by Chester Creek Technologies, log on to www.chestercreektech.com for an online description of the keyboard's operating features, was created for people who, like Dougherty, have trouble seeing but still want to be able to use a computer. The keyboard has large keys with high-contrast black-on-white lettering. According to the company's literature, the keys are proven easier on the eyes than the standard white on black composition of most keyboards.

Dougherty says he finds the big keys and larger letters to be extremely helpful. "Now I have no more excuses when the grandkids write asking why it has been so long since they've heard from me," he laughs.

Other "visual aid tools" people like Dougherty have at their disposal to help them see better include hand held magnifiers; telescopes that make distant objects appear closer; binoculars for television or theaters; and monoculars for distance objects like bus numbers.

While vision loss can be debilitating, it's not the only serious problem that goes along with old age. According to The Centers for Disease Control 43 million Americans suffer from arthritis or other rheumatic conditions, which makes it hard for them to open a door, hold a pen or type on a standard keyboard.

"The VisionBoard is helpful for people with dexterity problems too," says Jim Gustafson, the CEO of Chester Creek Technologies. "We get a lot of orders from nursing homes that want to make it easier for their residents to spend time on line. The keyboard's bigger keys make it possible for them to use a computer again without getting frustrated by small keys."

The VisionBoard keyboard isn't the only large keyboard available from Chester Creek Technologies. The company also has a special product line for kids. Log on to www.chestercreektech.com to browse the company's online catalog.

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