What is Low Vision?

• Low vision is a condition in which a person loses part of their vision, most often due to an eye disease or trauma. These people may also be called ‘visually impaired’ or, sometimes, ‘legally blind’. The most common causes of low vision are degenerative eye diseases: macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, cataracts, etc. For the most part, these diseases affect older people, though other diseases and trauma can cause low vision in children and younger adults.
• Low vision is NOT the same as blindness. Many people with low vision may be told they are legally blind, and may confuse this term with blindness. People with low vision still have usable vision, which they can be taught to use effectively, and are not ‘blind’. People who are completely blind compose less than 10% of the visually impaired population.

There are many options for low vision

Visual Rehabilitation

“Vision rehabilitation is the process of treatment that helps individuals who are visually disabled attain maximum function, a sense of well being, a satisfying level of independence and optimum quality of life. Function is maximized by evaluation, diagnosis and treatment including but not limited to, the prescription of optical, non-optical, electronic an/or other treatments, and development of an individual rehabilitation plan specifying clinical therapy and/or instruction in compensatory approaches.”