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Neighbors

Meet Your Neighbor: Optometrist Grandela owns ViewFinder Low Vision Resource Center in Mesa

Posted 4/9/21

Your Name: ​Carlos Grandela

Age: 32

Business Name: ViewFinder Low Vision Resource Center

Town/Neighborhood: Mesa

Hours of operation: 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. …

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Neighbors

Meet Your Neighbor: Optometrist Grandela owns ViewFinder Low Vision Resource Center in Mesa

Posted

Your Name: ​Carlos Grandela

Age: 32

Business Name: ViewFinder Low Vision Resource Center

Town/Neighborhood: Mesa

Hours of operation: 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday.

Personal background highlights: I am a husband of nine years and father of three small children, son of a Cuban immigrant and Navy veteran, and I speak fluent Spanish. I grew up in Virginia Beach and then spent my young adulthood bouncing all around the country for school and work.

Professional background highlights: I graduated from the Southern College of Optometry in 2018 and completed externships in pediatrics, vision therapy, and ocular disease. At graduation, I was awarded the Beau Willis Endowed Scholarship for my commitment to community service as a student doctor. In July 2019 I completed a low vision rehabilitation and ocular disease residency at the Illinois College of Optometry and Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind. I am currently working towards fellowship in the American Academy of Optometry, due to complete in Fall 2021. I was hired at ViewFinder Low Vision Resource Center by the founder, Dr. Lynne Noon, immediately following residency. After a successful year and a half together, I purchased the practice from Dr. Noon at the end of 2020.

What I do: I am an optometrist with a focus on rehabilitative care for individuals who have vision impairment and blindness. ViewFinder is the place to go when other eye doctors say “I’m sorry, there’s nothing else I can do for you.” I work directly with people to find the right glasses and solutions to meet their personal needs. Whether you are looking to maintain your driver’s license, read a book, watch television, go to school or work, or even keep up with your favorite hobby, there are many products and devices available to help you.

What I like most about doing business here: The people of Arizona are a medley of different cultures and heritages from all across the U.S. It is a wonderful thing to meet people from all walks of life who can find common ground together. Vision is such an important part about how we understand the world. No matter what your language or customs are, your eyes play a major role in your ability to be an active, independent person.

Changes I’d like to see in this area: There is not enough awareness about low vision rehabilitation. Many of my patients tell me that they never knew this kind of service existed, and too many people arrive at our office long after they could have reaped the benefits of magnification and assistive technology.

What am I promoting: I want to highlight one of my favorite products, the OrCam MyEye2. This is a device as small as your finger that clips to your glasses and will read text out loud to you. For patients who have difficulty reading mail and books, or whose eyes get fatigued from reading, this device can revolutionize your world. The MyEye2 will also recognize faces, scan product barcodes, recognize money, and follow gestures from your hands.

My interests and hobbies: I love to go running and hiking with my family. We try to take the weekends to go out to Arizona’s beautiful parks and trails when we are not busy with soccer games and swim practice. I also love to learn languages, and I am actively learning both ASL and Navajo.

People who inspire me (and how): I am inspired by pioneers, like my mentor Dr. Noon, who helped pass the law that allowed bioptic driving in Arizona for people with vision loss.

My guiding philosophy: “My life is like my shoes — to be worn out in service”

Contact information: Call 480-924-8755 to reach our Mesa office at 1830 S Alma School Road No. 131, Mesa, AZ 85210.