What is low vision?
Low vision is a visual impairment, not correctable by
standard glasses, contact lenses, medicine, or surgery, that interferes with a
person's ability to perform everyday activities.
What causes low vision?
Low vision can result from a variety of diseases,
disorders, and injuries that affect the eye. Many people with low vision have
age-related macular degeneration, cataract, glaucoma, or diabetic retinopathy.
Age-related macular degeneration accounts for almost 45 percent of all cases of
low vision.
Who is at higher risk for low vision?
People age 65 and older, as well as African Americans
and Hispanics over age 45, are at higher risk. African Americans and Hispanics
are at higher risk for low vision because they are at higher risk for developing
diabetes and diabetic retinopathy, and African Americans are at a higher risk
for developing glaucoma.
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How many people have low vision?
About 135 million people around the world have low
vision. Approximately 14 million Americans--about one out of every 20
people--have low vision.
[The Lighthouse. (1994). The Lighthouse National
Survey on Vision Loss: The Experience, Attitudes, and Knowledge of Middle-Aged
and Older Americans. New York: The Lighthouse, Inc., Louis Harris and
Associates, Inc.]
Is the number of people with low vision expected to
grow?
Yes. About one in eight Americans is now 65 or older.
That number is expected to grow, while mortality rates are expected to drop. By
2030, the number of Americans 65 and over is projected to double.
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How much does low vision cost the country?
More than $22 billion is spent annually on care and
services for people who are blind or have visual impairments. These costs
include treatment, education, loss of personal income, and associated costs,
such as Social Security disability benefits.
[National Alliance for Eye and Vision Research.
(1995). A Vision of Hope for Older Americans: Progress and Opportunities in
Eye and Vision Research. An official report to the White House Conference on
Aging.]
How does low vision affect people's lives?
People with low vision experience physical, economic,
and psychological changes that diminish their quality of life. Low vision
affects daily routines (walking, going outside, cooking), leisure activities
(reading, sewing, traveling, sports), and the ability to perform job-related
functions that can lead to a loss of income. These consequences often lead
people with low vision to become confused, grief-stricken, fearful, anxious, and
depressed. In addition, people with low vision who lose their depth perception
are at greater risk of falling and injuring themselves.
Do people with low vision experience problems on
the job?
One-third of all people with visual impairments who
responded to a 1994 survey by The Lighthouse, a vision advocacy and social
service organization, said that their vision problems created some difficulty in
performing their jobs. Half of all respondents said that loss of income as a
result of low vision was a somewhat serious or very serious problem.
[The Lighthouse. (1994). The Lighthouse National
Survey on Vision Loss: The Experience, Attitudes, and Knowledge of Middle-Aged
and Older Americans. New York: The Lighthouse, Inc., Louis Harris and
Associates, Inc.]
Are people with low vision more prone to accident
and injury?
Evidence suggests that the loss of stereoscopic vision
and depth perception increases a person's chances of tripping, falling, or
running into objects such as an open cabinet door, for example.
[Bachelder, J., and Harkins, D., Jr. (1995). Do
occupational therapists have a primary role in low vision rehabilitation?
American Journal of Occupational Therapy 49:927-930. Swagerty, D., Jr.
(1995). The impact of age-related visual impairment on functional independence
in the elderly. Kansas Medicine 96:24-26.]
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What resources and strategies can help people
perform daily tasks at home?
Resources and strategies depend on the severity of a
person's vision impairment. At home, people need devices that can help them
read, write, and manage the tasks of daily living. These adaptive devices
include adjustable lighting, prescription reading glasses, large-print
publications, magnifying devices, closed-circuit televisions, cassette
recordings, electronic reading machines, and computers with large print and
speech output systems. Simple strategies include writing with bold black felt
tip markers and writing on tablets with bold lines to make it easier to write in
a straight line. Also, contrasting colors are helpful: people can place colored
tape on the edges of steps to help them see the steps and prevent a fall.
Dark-colored light switches and electrical outlets can provide contrast on
light-colored walls. Motion lights that automatically turn on when someone
enters a room are helpful. Telephones, clocks, and watches with large numbers
can help people use those instruments more easily, and large-print labels placed
on the stove and microwave oven can help, too.
Among the visual devices that can help people with low
vision are reading glasses with high-powered lenses and reading prisms;
telescopes and telescopic spectacles for tasks requiring vision at near, middle,
and far distances; and reversed telescopes for visual field defects. These
devices must be prescribed by eye care professionals, and patients must be
trained to use them properly.
What agencies and organizations provide people who
have low vision with help and information?
Many agencies and organizations in the community
provide assistance and information to people who have low vision, and to their
families and caregivers. State agencies for the blind and visually impaired can
make referrals to a variety of organizations that provide assistance. Such
services include vision rehabilitation, recreation, counseling, and job training
or placement.
Why aren't these resources used more often?
Many people don't know that help exists. They think of
low vision as a natural part of aging, not as a problem that can be treated.
Others feel that these services and devices are for people who are blind, not
for people with low vision. Also, the cost of many devices keeps people from
obtaining them. Finally, people may know that help exists, but they don't know
what their options are and aren't sure how to ask for help or whom to consult.
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What should a person do if he or she has low
vision?
First, note the kinds of vision problems that are
occurring. Some warning signs include the following:
-
Trouble reading, cooking, or sewing.
-
Trouble seeing because the lights don't seem as
bright as usual.
-
Trouble recognizing the faces of friends and
relatives.
-
Trouble crossing the street or reading signs.
A person who is having these vision difficulties
should immediately make an appointment with an eye care professional for an eye
examination. If the person's vision cannot be treated by conventional methods,
such as glasses, contact lenses, medication, or surgery, then he or she should
ask the eye care professional for information about vision rehabilitation. These
services may include eye examinations, a low vision evaluation, training on how
to use visual and adaptive devices, support groups, and training on how to
perform everyday activities in new ways.
What should a person do if he or she knows someone
with low vision?
Urge that person to make an appointment with an eye
care professional for an eye examination. Then help the person find out about
low vision and vision rehabilitation services and encourage him or her to take
advantage of all available resources.
How much does a low vision evaluation cost?
While costs vary by region, typically a low vision
evaluation costs between $100 and $200.
Is a low vision examination covered by health
insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare?
Policies vary by state, but generally Medicare will
cover low vision examinations performed by eye care professionals. Private
health insurance usually does not cover low vision examinations, but one should
check with their carrier to be sure.
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What is the National Eye Institute?
The National Eye Institute (NEI) is part of the
Federal government's National Institutes of Health. Congress authorized the
establishment of the NEI in 1968. NEI's mission is to find new ways to prevent,
diagnose, and treat diseases of the eye and visual system, thus preventing,
reducing, and possibly even eliminating blindness.
What is the National Eye Health Education Program?
The Low Vision Education Program is part of the the
National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP), which was created by the NEI to
implement large-scale information, education, and applied research programs. The
NEHEP's goal is to prevent vision loss and blindness by educating the public and
health professionals about sight-threatening eye diseases and ensuring that the
results of eye and vision research benefit everyone. The NEHEP emphasizes
public, patient, and professional education on the importance of early detection
and treatment of eye diseases and disorders. The NEHEP is coordinated by the NEI
in partnership with more than 60 public and private organizations.
How can people get more information on the Low
Vision Education Program and other programs at the NEI?
Visit the
NEI Website
or call (301) 496-5248 to obtain information about the Low Vision Education
Program and other programs.
How can the public get a free booklet on low vision?
Call 1-877-569-8474 to order a booklet on low vision.
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Locally we may avail of the services of Resources for the Blind, Inc.
Mailing Address: Box 1831 C.P.O. 1099 Manila,
Philippines
Tel. Nos. (632) 726-3021 to 24
Telefax: 63-2-727-0077
E-mail address:
rbimanila@blind.org.ph
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EYE REPUBLIC
Ophthalmology Atlas
CLINIC INFORMATION
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EYE REPUBLIC Ophthalmology Clinic
Manila
3/F Don Santiago Building Units 309-310
1344 Taft Avenue, Ermita
Manila, 1000 Philippines
Direct and Fax: (632) 536-2398
Trunk Line: (632) 523-8271 to 79 local 30
Mobile: (63917) 899-2020
Map and directions
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EYE REPUBLIC
Ophthalmology Clinic
Asian Hospital
and Medical Center
5/F Medical Office
Building (MOB) Suite 509
2205 Civic Drive,
Filinvest, Alabang
Muntinlupa City,
1781 Philippines
Direct:
(632) 771-9253
Direct and Fax:
(632) 771-9254
Mobile: (63917) 795-2020
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EYE REPUBLIC Ophthalmology Clinic
Medical City
6/F Medical Arts Tower Inc (MATI) Suite 602
MERALCO Compound, Ortigas Avenue
Pasig City, 1604, Philippines
Direct and Fax: (632) 632-7846
Mobile: (63917) 537-2020
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EYE REPUBLIC
Ophthalmology Clinic
St. Luke's
Medical Center
6/F
Cathedral Heights Building Complex (CHBC)
North Tower Suite 614
279 E. Rodriguez
Sr. Boulevard
Quezon City, 1102
Philippines
Direct and Fax:
(632) 407-3883
Mobile: (63917) 855-2020
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CLINIC HOURS
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Monday to Saturday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
All clinics are closed on Sundays and Holidays
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LOW VISION REHABILITATION information
compiled by Dr.
Manolette R. Roque and initially uploaded on May 1, 2005.
Last updated on
September 14, 2007.
Note: The information here is taken unabridged from
the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health website.
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