Low Vision

Seeing Nature Clear with a Blurry Background

What is low vision?

If ordinary eyeglasses, contact lenses or intraocular lens implants don’t give you clear vision, you are said to have low vision. You should not confuse this condition with blindness. People with low vision still have useful vision that can often be improved with visual devices. Whether your visual impairment is mild or severe, low vision generally means that your vision does not meet your needs. Using visual devices to improve your vision usually begins after your ophthalmologist has completed medical or surgical treatment or determined that such treatments will not improve your vision.

 What causes low vision?

Though most often experienced by the elderly, people of all ages may be affected. Low vision can occur from birth defects, inherited diseases, injuries, diabetes, glaucoma, cataract and aging. The most common cause is macular degeneration, a disease of the retina, the inner layer of the eye that senses light and allows you to see. Macular degeneration causes damage to central vision. It does not cause total blindness, because side (peripheral) vision is not affected.

 Are there different types of low vision?

Yes. Although reduced central or reading vision is most common, low vision may also result from decreased side (peripheral) vision, or a loss of color vision. Or, your eye might lose the ability to adjust to light, contrast or glare. Different types of low vision may require different kinds of assistance. For example, people born with low vision have different needs from those who develop low vision later in life.

What is a low vision aid?

A low vision aid is an apparatus that improves vision. There is no one device that restores normal vision in all circumstances, so you may need different devices for different purposes. If possible, try a device before you buy it to see if it is useful for you. There are two types of low vision aids: optical and non-optical.

Optical low vision aids:

Optical low vision devices use lenses or combinations of lenses to provide magnification. They should not be confused with standard eyeglasses. There are five main kinds of optical devices:

  • Magnifying spectacles are stronger than ordinary glasses. When you use them, you need to hold your reading material very close; otherwise the print is out of focus. This may feel awkward at first, but you will become used to it. They are designed for close work, so magnifying spectacles leave both hands free to hold reading material.
  • Hand magnifiers are familiar to most people. With these, you can hold reading material at a normal distance. You can buy hand magnifiers in department and drug stores.
  • Stand magnifiers rest on the reading material. Some have a self-contained light source.
  • Telescopes are used for distance magnification. They may be hand held for viewing distant objects, or mounted in spectacles.
  • Closed-circuit television produces an enlarged image on a television screen. With adjustable magnification and contrast, a closed-circuit television is often easier to use than other devices.

Non-optical low vision aids:

  • Large-print books, newspapers and magazines
  • Check-writing guides
  • Large playing cards
  • Enlarged telephone dials
  • High-contrast watch faces
  • Machines that talk (timers, clocks, computers)
  • Machines that scan print and read aloud

Closed-circuit television systems are versatile and provide high magnification.

The simplest non-optical technique is getting closer to what you want to see. Holding reading material very close to your eyes or sitting as close as one foot from the television screen will not cause eye damage, contrary to popular belief.

Is lighting important for people with low vision?

Correct lighting is as important as a low vision device. With no eye disorder, a 60-year-old person may need twice the illumination he or she needed at 20 to comfortably perform the same task.

Some lighting tips:

Place the light source close to your reading material for greatest visibility. High intensity lights with adjustable arms work well for this purpose. Visors and hat brims block annoying overhead light, and absorptive lenses are useful controlling glare.

What services are available for low vision patients?

A complete eye examination is the essential first step. Once the cause of your low vision is determined, your eye doctor may suggest vision devices or may refer to other low vision specialists or agencies for help.

Governmental and private agencies provide social services for people with low vision. These include talking books, independent home-living instruction and, in some cases, orientation and mobility training.

What Is a Low Vision Clinic?

A low vision clinic demonstrates and prescribes conventional and unconventional optical and non-optical devices to persons suffering from vision loss.

I Have Been To Many Doctors; Why Do I Need Another Exam?

The low vision clinic is staffed with experts in the field of low vision. Their job is to get your vision to function at its best. We use specialized charts and tools not found in a regular doctor’s office.

Who Should Go to a Low Vision Clinic?

If your vision is 20/70 or less in your best eye with correction; your doctor has done everything he/she can through surgery, medication, and/or corrective lenses; and you are still experiencing difficulty seeing, you should be seen at a low vision clinic. Our patients include those with macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, RP, cataracts, etc.

What Should I Expect at a Low Vision Clinic?

The low vision M.D. or O.D. (Optometrist) will first give you a thorough vision exam using specialized charts, filters, lighting and optical equipment. He or she will try to improve your vision through conventional means first, and then with two microscopic, telescopic or microtelescopic devices. The low vision specialist will discuss your personal needs; go over the recommendations of the doctor; and fit you for low vision devices.

What Are Low Vision Devices?

How Much Does it Cost?

Medicare and health insurance plans do not pay for low vision exams or products. Fees vary. If you need financial assistance, please inquire about assistance when you call to make your appointment.

What Number Do I Call To Make An Appointment?

1-706-323-3491

For additional information contact:

  • Your local state commission for the blind and visually impaired
  • American Foundation for the Blind, 11 Penn Plaza, Suite 300, New York, NY 10001 (800) 232-5463
  • National Association for Visually Handicapped 22 West 21st Street New York, NY 10010 (212) 889-3141
  • National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
  • Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20542, (800) 424-8567
  • The Lighthouse National Center for Vision and Aging 111 East 59th Street New York, NY 10022 (800) 334-5497