Vision Impairments

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Vision Impairments

Vision impairment is loss of vision to a degree that a person needs additional support beyond the use of eyeglasses or contacts in order to carry out their daily physical activities. There are a number of different conditions that can affect a person's eyesight. It could result from eye disease or health conditions. Diabetic Retinopathy is when tiny blood vessels in the retina are damaged by diabetes. Age-Related Macular Degeneration occurs when the cells that allow a person to see fine details, located in their retina, die. Glaucoma is a condition where to much fluid pressure rises in the eyes and damages the optic nerve. A Cataract occurs when the crystalline lens in a person's eye, or it's envelope, becomes clouded and obstructs the passage of light. Receiving prompt treatment for these conditions may prevent them from getting worse, which makes regular eye exams crucial.

In the United States, the terms "partially sighted", "low vision", "legally blind" and "totally blind" are used by schools, colleges, and other educational institutions to describe students with types of visual impairments that are considered disabilities. They are defined as follows:

Partially sighted - indicates some type of visual problem, with a need of person to receive special education in some cases;
Low vision - generally refers to a severe visual impairment, not necessarily limited to distance vision. Low vision applies to all individuals with sight who are unable to read the newspaper at a normal viewing distance, even with the aid of eyeglasses or contact lenses. They use a combination of vision and other sensesto learn, although they may require adaptations in lighting or the size of print, and, sometimes, Braille; 1.Myopic - unable to see distant objects clearly, commonly called near-sighted or short-sighted
Hyperopic - unable to see close objects clearly, commonly called far-sighted or long-sighted
Legally blind - indicates that a person has less than 20/200 vision in the better eye after best correction (contact lenses or glasses), or a field of vision of less than 20 degrees in the better eye; and
Totally blind - unable to see anything. Students learn via Braille or other non-visual media.

Video Description TV Listings Guide Available for People with Vision Impairments

Details: Published on Tuesday, 12 March 2013 14:11

The National Foundation for the Blind has added a TV listing guide to help those with visual impairments find video (audio) described television shows. Video description allows people with vision impairments to better enjoy television by adding short verbal descriptions of actions or key visual scenes in a program, such as the setting, costumes, and facial expressions. These descriptions are inserted into pauses within the programs normal dialogue.

Learning to Live With Vision Loss

Details: Published on Friday, 22 February 2013 06:13

Elderly couple When a person starts to lose their vision it can be a difficult and challengng time. According to the National Center on Caregiving, nearly 3.5 million Americans over 40 years of age experience some vision loss. Often times the loss comes from an age-related illness, another type of medical condition or trauma. This disabling loss can cause many to feel lost and even isolated because they are unable to do even the simplest everyday activities like reading the newspaper.

Growing Threat of Diabetic Eye Disease

Details: Published on Thursday, 25 October 2012 13:10

The diabetes epidemic in the United States continues to have a serious impact on health, especially on vision. Today, it is estimated that more than 25 million Americans have diabetes and 79 million adults aged 20 and older have prediabetes. According to the 2012 Vision Problems in the U.S. report from Prevent Blindness America and the National Eye Institute, more than 7.6 million people ages 40 and older have diabetic retinopathy, an 89 percent increase from 10 years ago. Additionally, people with diabetes are at greater risk for other vision disabilities such as glaucoma and cataract.

Tips and Advice for Cataract Prevention and Detection

Details: Published on Thursday, 25 October 2012 09:20

As the baby boomer generation ages, the incidence of cataracts has escalated significantly, and currently, more than 25 million U.S. adults over age 40 have a disabling condition called cataracts. Cataracts interfere with everyday life as vision gradually deteriorates, eventually leading to blindness if left untreated. Although there are various types of cataracts, fortunately, once they are detected, surgery can safely and effectively restore vision, said Los Angeles Cataract Surgeon Dr. Babak Shabatian.

Eye-Free Mobile Device to Facilitate Daily Life for Blind and Visually Impaired People

Details: Published on Tuesday, 23 October 2012 09:45

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM), through its Wireless Reach™ initiative, and Project RAY Ltd., which designs accessibility tools for blind and visually impaired people, today announced that they have developed the RAY mobile device, an always-on, easy-to-use, multi-function, smartphone that is synchronized with Israel's Central Library for the Blind, Visually Impaired and Handicapped audio books content. This collaboration sets a new standard in accessibility tools and ease of use for visually impaired people.

Study Links Smoking to the Development of Cataracts

Details: Published on Wednesday, 17 October 2012 09:23

Smokers now have another reason to quit. A Chinese research team from Zhejiang University has discovered a link between cigarette smoking and developing age-related cataracts, published in the June edition of Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. Cigarette smoke contains nearly 4000 active compounds and many are toxic, such as formaldehyde, arsenic and carbon monoxide. Los Angeles Ophthalmologist Dr. Babak Shabatian of CaliEye explains that cigarette smoking can cause or worsen several eye disorders, including age-related macular degeneration, which has no effective medical or surgical cure.

AMD the leading cause of vision loss in Canadians over 50

Details: Published on Tuesday, 25 September 2012 06:37

The Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) is warning Canadians that age-related macular degeneration (AMD) continues to be the leading cause of vision loss in Canadians over 50 years old. And, with the aging population, the number of people diagnosed with the disease is expected to double in the next 25 years. But the good news is there are things people can do to minimize their risk.

Cataracts Increasing for People Over 40

Details: Published on Friday, 21 September 2012 11:30

The ophthalmologists at La Peer Health Systems in Beverly Hills have noticed a disturbing trend. Cataracts cases are increasing for people over the age of 40.

"Cataracts are definitely a growing concern in the field of ophthalmology," said Robert Sacks, MD, an ophthalmologist at La Peer Health Systems. "More people are being diagnosed with them than ever before."

Subcategories

Cataract

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