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Before we can understand vision impairments, we need to have a basic understanding of the human eye. The Eye 101 Does that all make sense? Good. Now we can look at what happens when any part of the eye is damaged or deformed ie, vision impairments. The term "vision impairment" indicates that there is a vision defect, not the actual level of vision loss. Many of the conditions below can cause anything from a slight loss of vision to total blindness. In Australia, to be classed as vision impaired your vision must be less than 6/18 which means that what the person being tested can see at 6 metres, a person with full sight could see at 18 (full sight is 6/6). To be classed as legally blind your vision must be 6/60 or less or you must have a visual field of 10% or less (a full field is 180%). The classification of legal blindness is used for determining Disability Support Pensions and other assistance. These measurements are obtained by reading an eye chart. (A white chart with black letters on it, the letters getting smaller as you progress down the chart. Each line of letters on the chart is marked as to what distance it represents. For example, if you can read down to the third line your vision is 6/24). Below are some of the more common vision impairments. Cataracts Diabetic Retinopathy Glaucoma Long and short sightedness Macular Degeneration Retinitis Pigmentosa With the help of trained personnel and adaptive technology, any of the difficulties caused by a vision impairment can be overcome allowing the individual to �fit in� with everyone else and compete on a level playing field in all areas of life. For more information on living with a vision impairment please see the Independent Living section. For more information on other vision impairments try the links page Return to Dogs, Canes and Talking Microwaves main page Go to Association for the Blind of WA |