Vision impairments
There are varying degrees of blindness and most people who are legally blind have some vision. That is why we use the words 'vision impaired' or 'partially sighted'. The pictures below show how people with different types of eye conditions see the world.
| Diabetic Retinopathy can accompany long-term diabetes. Changes to the blood vessels in the retina cause vision loss. Blurred, distorted vision or even total blindness may occur. |
| Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) is a progressive chronic inherited condition that causes breakdown of retina cells that normally receive light. Eventually RP may progress to loss of peripheral vision (tunnel vision), which leads to loss of night vision. |
| Visual Field Loss occurs when the optic nerve or parts of the brain used for sight are damaged. The eyes may still work normally but the messages cannot get through to the brain. If the condition is particularly severe, the person may not see half of their visual field. |
| Macular Degeneration is the most common cause of severe vision loss in people over the age of 60 years. The retina becomes damaged leading to a loss of central vision, although a person with this condition still has peripheral vision. Reading, recognizing faces and all close work becomes difficult. |
| Glaucoma is often caused when the fluid in the eye does not drain away fast enough. This causes a build up in pressure that damages the optic nerve and prevents visual information reaching the brain. It can be chronic and if untreated can result in tunnel vision or total blindness. Fortunately, glaucoma can be controlled if it is detected early. |
| A cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye that obstructs the passage of light rays needed for vision. Some of the signs for this condition are blurred vision, glare sensitivity, double vision and the need to change prescription spectacles frequently. If untreated, cataracts can cause blindness. |
The following site has detailed information about vision impairments:
