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FOR
THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED AND LEGALLY BLIND
Low Vision Aids can maximize
your remaining usable vision when conventional glasses or
contact lenses are not sufficient to help you to see more
than 20/70 in your better eye, or if you are legally blind.
Visual conditions that can lead to visual impairment
include: macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic
retinopathy, visual loss due to stroke or craniotomy,
trauma, and congenital vision problems.
| Low
Vision aids can help with: |
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| Difficulty
reading regular sized or small print |
| Blurry
distance vision: bus signs, front of classroom,
television |
| Poor
night vision |
| Difficulty
performing daily tasks such as cooking, sewing,
walking |
| Sensitivity
to glare |
| Difficulty
driving |
| Loss
of side vision (hemianopsia) |
There are many types of Low
Vision Aids including: telescopes, bioptic telescopes
(telescope for driving), magnifiers for reading, microscopes
for reading, field expanders, glare filters, task lighting,
computer aids, and closed-circuit television reading
systems. Each aid is designed for a specific task, or group
of tasks. Since your vision has been impaired, it is rare
that one pair of glasses is enough to help you see at
different distances, in different lighting conditions, or
for different activities.
Vision Therapy is beneficial
in conjunction with the prescription of low vision aids.
Since your vision is impaired, you must learn a new way to
use your eyes, and how to use your aids. For example, if you
have lost side vision in a stroke, or central vision because
of macular degeneration, you need to learn to function in a
world that you no longer see completely. Vision Therapy can
teach skills such as peripheral awareness, scanning
techniques, recognition of depth (such as stairs and curbs),
spatial localization, and object localization.
Low Vision Aids can help you
maximize your remaining vision to help you function more
independently. The better you see, the more you can do, the
better your life.
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