Low Vision Is a Visual Impairment

Low vision is a visual impairment, not total vision blindness, which results in a permanent decrease in the acuity of an individual's vision field. Unlike normal vision impairments such as nearsightedness and farsightedness, low vision can't be fully corrected by using standard vision aids such as eyeglasses or contacts. According to the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI), an individual has low vision when "the better-seeing eye will not reach visual acuity of 20/70 or greater after the strongest correction aid is applied".
Common conditions that result in low vision include cataracts, stroke, glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and retinal detachment. The five most common types of low vision, as defined by the American Optometric Association^/1, are as follows:

• Loss of Central Vision
• Loss of Peripheral (Side) Vision
• Night Blindness
• Blurred Vision

Early warning signs of low vision include difficulty recognizing objects up close or at a distance, differentiating between colors, and overall blurry vision. Individuals, through their primary eye care provider, should contact a Low Vision Eye Care Specialist who can perform a unique eye examination called a low vision evaluation.This type of examination involves a multitude of tests that assess the range of the vision field, ocular perception and sensitivity, assessment of any ocular injury or disease, and overall mobility of the eye. After this series of tests, the low vision specialist will perform tests with various telescopic and magnification aids to determine which low vision aid will provide the best visual field enhancement.

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