Low vision refers to a level of vision loss that cannot be fully corrected with standard glasses, contact lenses, medication, or surgery. It can make everyday tasks such as reading, watching TV, or recognizing faces more difficult.

What conditions commonly cause low vision?

Common causes of low vision include macular degeneration, Stargardt’s disease, diabetic retinopathy, ocular albinism, and vision loss following a stroke or other neurological conditions.

Can low vision be improved?

While low vision often cannot be fully restored, it can frequently be improved with advanced low vision care. Customized optical systems and specialized visual solutions can help patients regain functional vision for everyday activities.

Are apps like ReBokeh enough to improve low vision?

Apps like ReBokeh can be helpful tools for enhancing contrast and visibility in certain situations, such as travel. However, many patients require more advanced, customized optical solutions to achieve meaningful improvements in daily life.

What is advanced low vision care?

Advanced low vision care focuses on maximizing a patient’s remaining vision using highly customized optical systems. These solutions are designed specifically for the individual and their daily needs, going beyond basic magnifiers or standard low vision aids.

What are customized optical systems?

Customized optical systems are advanced, personalized glasses designed to improve functional vision for specific tasks such as reading, watching television, or recognizing faces. These systems are tailored to each patient’s unique vision and goals.

How do I know if I am a candidate for advanced low vision care?

If you are still struggling with your vision despite glasses, treatments, or previous evaluations, you may be a candidate. A record review and consultation with a low vision specialist can help determine if advanced solutions are appropriate for you.

Is low vision care covered by insurance?

Basic low vision exams may be covered by insurance, but advanced low vision care and customized optical systems are typically not covered. Many patients choose to proceed because of the significant improvements in quality of life.

BWI Airport Introduces ReBokeh – Groundbreaking Visual Accessibility Technology

A Breakthrough in Low Vision Technology Arrives at BWI Airport

A major step forward in accessibility has just landed at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) – and it’s happening right in our backyard.

A Towson-based company, ReBokeh, has introduced a new visual accessibility app now available to travelers at BWI. This makes BWI one of only a select number of airports in the country offering this type of technology to assist individuals with low vision. Even more notable, the company’s headquarters are located just minutes from our own office here in Towson, MD, just minutes from our head office in Bare Hills.

What Is ReBokeh and How Does It Work?

The ReBokeh app is designed specifically for individuals with low vision, not total blindness, who still rely on their remaining vision but struggle with clarity, contrast, glare, or detail.

Instead of traditional magnifiers or static accessibility settings, the app uses your smartphone’s camera to enhance what you’re looking at in real time. Users can:

Increase contrast to make objects stand out
Adjust brightness and reduce glare
Sharpen edges for improved clarity
Zoom in without losing usability
Customize settings based on their specific vision needs

This allows users to navigate environments like airports – reading signs, identifying gates, or recognizing obstacles, with greater confidence and independence.

Why This Matters - Especially for Travel

Airports are one of the most visually demanding environments:

Large open spaces
Constant movement
Overhead signage
Changing lighting conditions

For many individuals with low vision, these challenges can make travel stressful or even discourage it altogether.

Technology like ReBokeh helps bridge that gap by making real-world environments more visually accessible in real time. The launch at BWI signals a growing recognition that accessibility should go beyond physical accommodations; it should include visual accessibility as well.

A Step Forward – But Not the Complete Solution

While this is an exciting advancement, it’s important to be clear:

Tools like ReBokeh are helpful enhancements, but they are not a replacement for properly designed vision solutions.

Many patients we see, especially those with conditions like macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, or post-surgical vision issues, often need more than digital enhancement alone. They require precision optical solutions tailored to how they use their vision in everyday life.

That’s where advanced care comes in.

How This Fits Into the Bigger Picture of Low Vision Care

At Low Vision Specialists of Maryland & Virginia, we view innovations like ReBokeh as part of a broader ecosystem of solutions.

For some patients, apps like this can:

Complement their existing vision
Help in specific environments, like travel
Provide quick, on-the-go visual support

But for others, especially those seeking to regain functional independence for activities like:

Watching TV
Reading
Recognizing faces
Driving (when possible)

More advanced, customized optical systems are often needed.

Local Innovation, Real Impact

There’s something especially meaningful about this development happening locally.

A Towson-based company bringing cutting-edge accessibility technology to a major airport like BWI reflects a growing movement toward practical, real-world solutions for people living with vision loss.

And it reinforces something we see every day: There is almost always more that can be done.

Learn More About Your Options

If you or a loved one are struggling with vision loss from conditions such as macular degeneration, Stargardt’s disease, ocular albinism, or vision loss following a stroke, there may still be options available – even if you’ve been told, “nothing more can be done.”

We regularly work with patients who have been through multiple doctors and treatments, but are still frustrated with their vision. Through advanced low vision care and customized optical systems, our goal is to help restore functional vision for everyday life.

We offer a complimentary record review and phone consultation to determine if we can help.

Call to learn more: 1 (866) 269-3916 or contact us online.

BWI Airport Introduces ReBokeh – Groundbreaking Visual Accessibility Technology