Large Print vs. Magnifiers

Large Print

Pros

No need for special instruction
Do not require reading aids

Cons

Bulky, heavy to carry around
With a few exceptions, not available outside school
Pictures are always in black and white
Maps and graphs are usually blurry

Magnifiers

Pros

Can be used everywhere (inside and outside school)
Very handy in daily life situations (reading regular mail, a menu at a restaurant, a prescription label, information given during a conference, etc.; looking at brochures, consulting a map, and more)
Give independence
Lighter than large print books
Pictures, maps, and graphs keep their quality

Cons

Training is required
Practice is needed until good reading speed is acquired
Sometimes users are self-conscious and avoid using it in front of other people

Magnification

Large Print

Magnifiers

Large Print vs. Magnifiers

CCTV's

Other Magnification Devices

Home

Reaserch shows that a person well trained using a magnifier can average the same reading speed of another person using large print materials. For more information, go to http://www.svrc.vic.edu.au/Magnifiers2.html

Page Developed by Ruth Fajner, August 13, 2009
graciela_r_fajner@mcpsmd.org

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