How OrCam Has Liberated Me: Dr. Rosenfeld's Story

It was during a trip to Disney World with his family that Dr. Leonard Rosenfeld discovered that he was losing his vision.

“Everyone told us that we should visit the Pirates of the Caribbean exhibit and that we should get there early in the morning because it was so popular. So right after breakfast, on a bright sunny day, we went off to the exhibit. There were no crowds and we got right in. The building is like a pirate fortress. So you walk from bright sunshine into this dingy, dungeon-like building. And I froze. I said, ‘I can’t see anything.’

My wife and my children thought I was joking. They said ‘Come on, it’s fine. Here are the steps, it’s nothing. Just walk.’ In the end my wife grabbed one arm and my older son grabbed my other arm and they sort of pulled me until we got in a little bit and there was enough light for me to see.”

After returning home from vacation Leonard went in for his annual optical check, where he received a shocking prognosis- he had Glaucoma.

Thirty-five years and 14 eye surgeries later, Leonard is now retired but still as active as ever. Despite his diminishing eyesight, Leonard taught for over 4 decades at the Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia, participated in the publication of more than three dozen manuscripts, co-edited four books, and served on numerous committees, including 3 four-year terms on the Board of School Directors and was elected for a term as President of the Board.

And yet, despite all of these accomplishments, there is still one thing that Leonard is unable to do because of his glaucoma, which bothers him most of all.

Leonard can’t read his own mail.

“My mail sits in a pile until my son comes over, maybe once a week or so, and we go through the mail and bills together. This frustrates me because I’m an adult and I want to take care of this on my own. To have to depend on someone else is frustrating. This is why I find OrCam so liberating. With OrCam I can pick up an envelope and see who it’s from. I can open it and read the document.”

Watch this video to hear from Dr. Leonard Rosenfeld about how OrCam has made a difference in his life:

Learn more about Dr. Leonard Rosenfeld and his current work with the Glaucoma Service Foundation here.