The first thing I noticed when I visited an older friend's apartment were the large colorful dots.

Was this a new, funky style of decorating?

No, she said, just a creative, adaptive aid to help her navigate her personal terrain more easily, despite diminished vision.

She, or perhaps a helpful friend or relative, had placed the raised dots on the stove and microwave and toaster to mark important temperature settings.

Different color dots also marked various light switches on the apartment walls.

Even her pill bottles were colorfully marked so the woman could see which medications were to be taken in the morning or at bedtime, for example. She understood her system.

To me, the dots were a fascinating accessory to her décor. To my friend, they represented a lifeline that kept her living independently.

I was intrigued. What other adaptive techniques were being used to make life easier for people with visual impairment?

The woman showed me more. Colorful plastic storage boxes in her pantry kept related food items separated.

The green bin, for example, held cans of vegetables. The yellow bin stored cans of fruit.

She told me another friend with low vision used a system of rubber bands on food cans to distinguish the contents. Perhaps one band meant peas, two bands marked green beans, and so on.

Being organized is critical; everything should be placed in a designated location, every single time the item is used.

That way the cell phone and television remote control will not be mistaken for each other, or the eyeglasses and keys will not become hopelessly misplaced.

If a person with low vision carries more than one key on a ring, paint the tops of keys different colors to set them apart.

Even though my vision thus far is fine, I marked my house key with red nail polish so it will stand out from the other keys.

My friend's apartment also had a clock with huge, well-lit numbers. It reminded me of another clock I once saw in someone's home, a clock that loudly announced the time at the touch of a button.

Dark felt-tip markers and paper with bold lines can help visually impaired individuals keep track of phone numbers or jot down readable shopping lists.

Although the apartment I was visiting did not have stairs, I have seen homes where the steps and door sills were marked with contrasting tape or paint in order to prevent falls by people with low vision.

Even the color of dishware can be important to a person with limited sight. Pouring coffee into a white mug or milk into a dark mug provides contrast and may prevent messy overfilling and dangerous spills.

Extra lighting, or even magnified lighting, can help one overcome low vision problems. Areas used for cooking, laundry, grooming and reading should have increased light to make tasks easier.

Brighter lighting also is important in dim hallways, the shower and closets.

Sleek new electronic magnifying glasses are becoming more powerful and portable. And with built-in illumination, they are ideal visual aids in poor lighting, such as in many restaurants.

A great-aunt of mine, who had glaucoma, had a telephone with enormous numerals and a bathroom scale that matter-of-factly announced her weight (without laughing or admonishing).

Other helpful products I have seen in catalogs and in the store at the Center for Vision Loss in Allentown include large-print check registers and calendars, check writing guides and signature guides, large-print playing cards and bingo cards, pill containers, talking watches, colorful kitchen utensils and a wide selection of lighting and magnifying devices.

This treasure trove of helpful low-vision items can make a positive difference in the lives of visually-impaired persons.

Just as following the dots in childhood often led to happiness and feelings of self-sufficiency as we created pieces of "art," following colored or raised dots can help older eyes compensate for limitations and keep older adults happier and independent longer.