What Is Low Vision?

When ordinary eyeglasses, contact lenses or intraocular lens implants cannot provide sharp sight, an individual is said to have low vision. This condition should not be confused with blindness. People with low vision still have useful vision which can often be improved with aids.

Visual impairment may be mild or severe but in each case visual performance does not meet the individual's needs. Improving vision with visual aids is usually undertaken after your ophthalmologist has completed medical or surgical procedures or determined that such procedures are unwarranted.

What Causes Low Vision?

Though most often experienced by the elderly, people of all ages may be affected. Low vision can occur from birth defects, inherited diseases, injuries, diabetes, glaucoma, cataract and aging. The most common cause is macular degeneration, which is a deterioration of the retina, the light sensitive tissue in the back of the eye. Vision loss from macular degeneration is limited to central vision and fortunately does not cause total blindness since side (peripheral) vision is not affected.

Are There Different Types Of Low Vision?

Yes. Although reduced central or reading vision is most common, low vision may also result from decreased side (peripheral) vision, a reduction or loss of color vision, or the eye's inability to properly adjust to light, contrast or glare.

Different types of low vision may require different kinds of assistance. For example, people born with low vision have different needs than those who develop low vision later in life.

What Is A Low Vision Aid?

A low vision aid is a device which improves vision. There is no single aid that magically restores normal vision in all circumstances. In fact, you may need different aids for different purposes. If possible, try to determine whether a particular aid is useful for you before you buy it.

Low vision aids fall into two general categories: optical and non-optical.

Optical Low Vision Aids

Optical low vision aids use lenses or combinations of lenses to provide magnification. They should not be confused with standard eyeglasses. There are five main kinds of optical aids: magnifying spectacles, hand magnifiers, stand magnifiers, telescopes and closed-circuit TV (CCTV).

Magnifying spectacles are stronger than ordinary glasses. They require that reading material be held very close, otherwise the print is out of focus. This position may feel awkward at first, but the awkwardness can be overcome with some initial effort. Designed for close work, magnifying spectacles leave both hands free to hold reading material.

Telescopes are used for distance magnification. They may be hand held for viewing distant objects such as street signs, or mounted in spectacles.

Closed-circuit television produces an enlarged image on a television screen. With the added advantage of adjustable magnification and contrast, a closed-circuit television is often easier to use and less fatiguing than other aids.

Non-Optical Low Vision Aids

Non-optical aids include large print books, newspapers and magazines; check writing guides; large playing cards; enlarged telephone dials and high contrast watch faces.

Auditory aids, such as machines that talk (timers, clocks, computers) and even machines that scan print and read aloud, are also available.

The simplest non-optical technique is getting closer to what you want to see. Holding reading material very close to your eyes or sitting as close as one foot from the television screen will not cause eye damage, contrary to popular belief.

Is Lighting Important For People With Low Vision?

Correct lighting is as important as a low vision aid. With no eye disorder, a 60-year-old person may need twice the illumination they needed at 20 to comfortably perform the same task. Remember to place the light source close to your reading material for greatest visibility. High intensity lights with adjustable arms work well for this purpose.

Visitors and hat brims block annoying overhead light and absorptive lenses are useful in controlling glare.

What is Large Print?

Large print is oversize type which enables people who cannot comfortably read regular size print to enjoy all the pleasures and conveniences of reading. Technically speaking, large print is 14-point type, about twice the size of type you find printed in most books, magazines, and newspapers. This brochure is printed in 14-point type.

What Services Are Available For Low Vision Patients?

A complete eye examination by an ophthalmologist is essential. An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor (MD or osteopath) educated, trained and licensed to provide total eye care, including diagnosing causes of low vision and prescribing low vision aids.

Once the cause of your low vision is determined, your ophthalmologist may suggest low vision aids or may refer you to other low vision specialists or agencies for help.

Governmental and private agencies provide social services for low vision patients. These include talking books, independent home-living instruction, and in some cases, orientation and mobility training.

For additional information contact:

· Your local State Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

- American Foundation for the Blind,15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011. Toll-free hotline (1-800-AFB-BLIND). Information on vision impairment and blindness, referral services, and catalogs of adapted low vision equipment.

· National Association for Visually Handicapped, 22 West 21st Street, New York, NY 10010, (212-889-3141). Free-by-mail loan library of large print books, free large print newsletters for adults and children, and free catalog of visual aids.

· National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20542 (212-287-5100). Recorded books and magazines on free loan to visually impaired persons. Write or call for an application form.

· National Center for Vision and Aging, The Lighthouse, 111 East 59th Street, New York, NY 10022 (1-800-334-5497). A clearing house for information on vision and aging.

· Dialogue Publications, 3100 Oak Park Avenue, Berwyn, IL 60402 (312-749-1908). Large print and recorded general interest magazines.