Low vision is the inability to see 20/40 with correction or 20/200 without correction. There are many types of visual impairments. Visual impairments can be either congenital (one can be born with low vision) or acquired (one can become visually impaired during his or her lifetime). There are many causes for low vision. Many people use corrective lenses (glasses or contacts). Some people are not able to use corrective lenses.
I have low vision. One of my visual impairments is myopia, which is the medical term for nearsightedness. With myopia, the eye is longer than normal from front to back. There are degrees of myopia: low and high myopia. Usually corrective lenses are the treatment. Surgery is becoming an option to correct myopia. I wear glasses but only see 20/40 to 20/50 at best with correction. My ophthalmologist believes that I am legally blind without correction.
My other visual impairment is astigmatism, which is the medical term for distorted vision. With astigmatism, the cornea (the clear front window of the eye that is round) is shaped more in one direction than the other. There's not really anything eye specialists can do to correct astigmatism. Most people with astigmatism cannot wear contact lenses.
My Experiences
When I was born, the doctors thought that I would be blind. I walked late (at age eighteen months) because of my low vision. By the time I was 2 1/2 years old, I could only see a few feet in front of me. I couldn't even see the house across the street or view any Christmas lights. When I started preschool at age three, I was diagnosed with an eye-mind coordination problem. The area of the brain that tells the eyes what they are seeing had not fully developed. By the time I was 3 1/2 years old, I could see the house across the street.
I started wearing glasses for reading the chalkboard at school when I was in first grade in first grade. From first to eighth grade, I wore my glasses strictly for school. From late October 1978 to May 1980, I had to go without my glasses because I was going thru some major nasal reconstructive surgery at the time. In mid 1980, I started wearing my glasses full-time.
During the fall semester of my sophomore year in high school, I took driver's education. It was difficult for me to drive due to my vision. But I didn't let my vision stop me from trying. I went as far as taking the written and vision tests. I passed the written portion with a score of 95 out of 100. I barely passed the vision test tho. I never did go back to take the road test. The last time I drove a car was in December 1980.
My vision does not prevent me from doing most everyday tasks. I get around town with the help of family and friends as well as public transportation. I require very little in the way of accommodations. I have a job that requires heavy computer use. I spend 90% of my day sitting at a computer workstation. I've been using computers since the early 1990s.
Since I was a child, I have enjoyed reading. I read books with standard print with no problem.
Since I was a child, I have sat close to the television so I can see.
Links
National Eye Institute (from the National Institutes of Health)
This governmental organization provides information and resources for anyone dealing with vision problems.
American Academy of Ophthalmologists
This professional organization for eye specialists provides public information for people with low vision.
American Optometric Association
This professional organization for optometrists provides public information for people with vision problems.
This organization provides information to people with visual impairments and their families. It focuses on employment opportunities for people with low or no vision.
American Foundation for the Blind
This national organization serves as a clearinghouse for information on low vision and blindness.
Lighthouse InternationalThis international organization provides information and referral services anyone dealing with low vision.
Please feel free to email me with links to information and/or support for people with low vision.
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