Blindness and Vision loss

• Blindness refers to a lack of vision. It may also refer to a loss of vision that cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses.

• Partial blindness means one has very limited vision.

• Complete blindness means one cannot see anything and do not see light. (Most people who use the term "blindness" mean complete blindness.)

Interesting to Know:• Standard vision is measured as 20/20. A person is

considered "visually impaired" if he/she can see nobetter than 20/70 with correction in his/her bettereye. This means he/she can see at 20 feet whatpeople with standard vision see at 70 feet.

• A person is also considered “legally blind” he/shehas limited peripheral vision and appears to beseeing things as if looking through a tube or straw.

• A person is typically referred to as "totally blind" or"black blind" if he/she has no visible sight.

What Causes Blindness?

• Medical conditions like Cataracts, Glaucoma,Trachoma, etc.

• Age-related macular degeneration

• Eye injuries

• Severe periods of exhaustion or stress

• Pregnancy related issues

The type of partial vision loss may differ, depending on the cause:

• With cataracts, vision may be cloudy or fuzzy, and bright light may cause glare

• With diabetes, vision may be blurred, there may be shadows or missing areas of vision, and difficulty seeing at night

• With glaucoma, there may be tunnel vision and missing areas of vision

• With macular degeneration, the side vision is normal but the central vision is slowly lost

Other causes of vision loss include:

• Blocked blood vessels

• Complications of premature birth (retrolentalfibroplasia)

• Complications of eye surgery

• Lazy Eye

• Optic neuritis

• Stroke

• Retinitis pigmentosa

• Tumors such as retinoblastoma and optic glioma

Always Remember

• Disability does not mean that a person stopsliving their life.

• Persons who are blind can and do live fullyfunctional lives.

• Just as we use certain equipment to make ourlives easier, certain aids and devices are usedby persons with blindness or low vision tofacilitate daily living.

MANAGING BLINDNESS

• Many people with serious visual impairments cantravel independently, using a wide range of toolsand techniques.

• They rely on Orientation and mobility specialistswho are professionals specifically trained to teachpeople with visual impairments how to travelsafely, confidently, and independently in thehome and the community.

• Becoming familiar with an environment or routecan make it much easier for a blind person tonavigate successfully.

WHITE CANE

• Tools such as the WHITE CANE with a red tip –also the INTERNATIONAL SYMBOL of blindness is used to improve mobility.

GUIDE DOGS

• A small number of people employ Guide Dogs toassist in mobility.

• These dogs are trained to navigate aroundvarious obstacles, and to indicate when itbecomes necessary to go up or down a step.

• TACTILE PAVING and AUDIBLE TRAFFICSIGNALS can make it easier and safer forvisually impaired pedestrians to cross streets.

READING AND MAGNIFICATION

• Most visually impaired people who are not totallyblind, read print, either of a regular size or enlarged bymagnification devices. Many also read LARGE–PRINTwhich is easier for them to read without such devices.A variety of MAGNIFYING GLASSES some handheld,and some on desktops, can make reading easier forthem too.

• Others read BRAILLE or rely on TALKINGBOOKS and READERS or READING MACHINESwhich convert printed text to speechor Braille. They use computers with specialhardware such as SCANNERSand REFRESHABLE BRAILLE DISPLAYSand SCREEN READERS

BRAILLE IS a tactile writing system, traditionally writtenwith embossed paper. Braille-users can read computerscreens and other electronic supports thanks toRefreshable Braille Displays.

WHAT IS BRAILLE ?

Writing Reading

Other aids

Blind people may use TALKINGequipments suchas Thermometers Watches,Clocks, Scales, Calculatorsand Compasses. They may alsoenlarge or mark dials ondevices such as ovens andthermostats to make themusable.

The JAWS software : Job Access With Speech

JAWS (Job Access With Speech) is a computer screenreader program for Microsoft Windows that allowspeople who are blind or Low Vision to read the screeneither with a text-to-speech output or bya Refreshable Braille Display.

Low Vision Optical Devices

Low vision optical devices, such as magnifying readingglasses, magnifiers, and small telescopes, are tools thathelp those with vision loss maximize their remainingvision.

Some Useful Tips when Communicating with Persons who are Blind or have low vision

• Persons with visual impairment mainly experiencethe world through hearing and touch. Thus it isimportant to use auditory cues when communicatingwith a person who is blind. For instance, whenmeeting, introduce yourself and say something like“shall we shake hands” instead of simply taking theperson’s hand and shaking it.

• Announce your arrival or departure so that you donot take the person by surprise.

Some Basic Rules of Etiquette to Keep in Mind

• When offering assistance, ask the person directlywhat you need to do. As a rule, allow the person totake your arm. You should guide rather than propelthe person. Advise on steps or other obstacles asthey occur.

• Point out to the direction of any object using theanalogy of a clock, such as, “the chair is to your threeo’ clock”.

What is Deaf-Blindness

Sometimes people have multiple disabilities.

Deaf-blindness is such a condition where the person has little or no useful sight and little or no useful hearing.

How do persons who are Deaf-Blind communicate?

Deaf-Blind people communicate in many different waysdetermined by the nature of their condition, the age of onset,and what resources are available to them.For example, someone who grew up deaf and experiencedvision loss later in life is likely to use a sign language (in avisually modified or tactile form).

Others who grew up blind andlater became deaf are morelikely to use a tactile mode oftheir spoken/written language.