What is Low Vision?
Low vision is the term used to describe visual impairment that can’t be corrected fully with glasses, contact lenses, medication or eye surgery. Low vision can affect people of any age. Children can have low vision due to a birth defect or injury. Low vision in adults and seniors can be particularly traumatic, leading to frustration and depression. Losing the ability to drive safely, read quickly, watch television or view a computer screen can cause people with low vision to feel shut off from the world.
Low Vision Includes those with:
- Loss of best-corrected visual acuity to a level that interferes with daily activities
- Significant peripheral vision loss or blind spots in the vision
- Legal blindness- typically defined as visual acuity of 20/200 or worse (in the better eye, with the best possible vision correction in place) or a field of view (visual field) that is constricted to 20 degrees or less.
A low vision specialist can evaluate the degree and type of vision loss and prescribe appropriate low vision aids such as lighted handheld magnifiers, digital desktop magnifiers and bioptic telescopes. Newer options include handheld digital magnifiers as well as software that simplifies computer use with magnification and text-to-speech features.
Contact your optometric physician today to schedule an appointment, or find an optometrist near you using our doctor locator, here. Use these links to learn more about low vision: