Stuck on the numbers

Math was always my favorite subject in school.  Numbers have always made sense to me.  Numbers are all around us and we depend on them every day.  For example I know that The Food Network is channel 60.  If it is going to be 80 degrees outside I can wear shorts.  When I go shoe shopping I look for size 5.  These numbers become habit and even if they don't work for certain instances.  If it is 80 degrees but raining it might not be shorts weather but 80 degrees means shorts.  I may not fit into all size 5 shoes but that is what I always look for.  It was not until recently that it dawned on me just how blindly dependant on numbers I am.  And it was actually anther number that made me realize this.

I use screen magnification program to access the computer.  When I had my desk top I used 2x magnification and a large monitor.  I had it in my mind that 2x or twice the normal size was the correct setting for me and anything more would not be acceptable.  It worked for me at the time.  When I decided to buy a laptop, I knew I would probably have to move up to 3x.  I didn't like the idea of going up a number but I had to in order to see the screen.  I used 3x for years without thinking about whether or not it was really working for me.  In my opinion I was doing ok.  I could see what I needed to see.  Eventually I would occasionally increase the magnification to 4x or 5x if I absolutely needed to, but never for long.  I had myself convinced that anything else was just too big and too difficult to navigate the screen.  Now I must note that my vision is stable and has not changed so that is not a factor.

Then one day this spring I was in class and we were discussing how to assess the technology needs of students with visual impairments.  When we were talking about screen magnification the instructor pointed out that students be able to read the screen from a distance of 13-18 inches.  Later that evening when I was working on my computer, I realized just how close I was leaning towards the screen when I was trying to read.  So I found a ruler and measured how far from the screen I was.  I was less than 13 inches.  I had been using the wrong magnification for so long and didn't even know it.  I was stuck on the numbers not how effective the size was for me.

Of course how could I have known?  My technology needs had never been formally assessed and I had never received any training on what I had.  It was just given to me and I was left to figure it out on my own.

I decided to try 4x magnification for a few days to see if it would make any difference.  It made all the difference.  Yes, I had to get used to seeing less of the screen at one time but I was sitting at a more comfortable distance from the computer.  It did not take me long to make the change permanent.  I keep a ruler by my computer and spot check myself to make sure I am within the 13-18 inches.  I also am more likely to increase magnification for short periods of time when I need to.

My point in all of this is that I was stuck on the number and not on what was working.  Actually I was focused on the wrong number.  I learned that 13-18 is much more important than the number associated with the magnification level.  So if you are going to get stuck on the numbers make sure they are the right numbers and that they tell you what is important.