1. A near vision test apparatus for use by a healthcare examiner, comprising: (a) a generally rectilinear device having a front face and a generally parallel rear face, said device sized to be held by a healthcare examiner in a single hand while being operated by said single holding hand, wherein said from face is a near vision test card having a plurality of near vision test objects affixed thereon, said test objects arranged in one or more rows and one or more columns on said test card; (b) a plurality of electroluminescent panels positioned between said front face and said rear face, said electroluminescent panels oriented to retroilluminate said test objects; (c) a plurality of switches accessible on the outside of said device, wherein said switches are operable by said holding hand of said examiner to both select one of a plurality of operational modes of said device and to select the retroillumination of certain of said test objects; and (d) a microcontroller responsive to said switches, wherein said microcontroller selectively activates said electroluminescent panels to selectively retroilluminate said test objects in response to the operation of said switches by said holding hand of said examiner.