Visual Impairment
A.Basic Information
Similar to people with hearing impairments, it is less common for someone to be completely blind, but rather their ability to see may exist anywhere along a continuum from sighted to blind. In addition, amount of usable sight varies from person to person, and visual acuity may change under differing light conditions.
1. Vision is measured in terms of how MUCH can be seen and how CLEARLY it can be seen (visual acuity).
2. LEGAL BLINDNESS means having between zero and 10% of normal visual acuity in both eyes (20/200 vision or less), and/or 20% or less of normal peripheral vision in both eyes. In other words, this person, while wearing glasses, can see less at 20 feet than a person with normal vision can see at 200 feet.
3. LOW VISION or PARTIALLY SIGHTED means having visual acuity and/or field of vision that is less than normal, or having a visual limitation in only one eye. Vision that is limited to a narrow angle in the center of the field of vision sometimes is called TUNNEL VISION.
4. OTHER VISION IMPAIRMENTS include Learning Disabilities which interfere with the perception of visual or written information. Only a small minority of people are actually totally blind. The term blindness should be reserved for a complete loss of functional sight. A major challenge facing people who are blind is the mass of printed material they encounter on a daily basis.
There are four simple options that make written materials available to employees with vision impairments depending upon personal choice and amount of residual sight: 1. Written materials are recorded onto AUDIO-CASSETTES. 2. Regular print is converted into LARGE PRINT via enlarged copies or closed circuit TV. 3. Written materials are transcribed into BRAILLE. 4. A VOICE SYNTHESIZER is used with computers, calculators, typewriters, and clocks to read the information aloud.
There are two basic difficulties that a person with low vision is confronted with that the person who is blind is not. First, the person who has low vision is sometimes viewed by employers and co-workers as & faking it. Because most people who have low vision do not use white canes for travel and because most are able to get around without much difficulty, sighted people have trouble believing that the person needs to use adaptive methods when reading printed materials. Another difficulty that someone who is partially sighted must deal with is the reaction from others toward their handwritten communications.
B.Interactions
We should announce our presence and who we are in a normal tone of voice. We should offer assistance only if requested. It is not necessary to speak more loudly when conversing with someone with a vision impairment. We should not stop talking when a blind person is approaching because they might be relying on the sound of our voice for orientation. When giving directions, use descriptive words such as straight, forward, left. We need to be specific.
If we are walking with a blind person, we can let them take our arm from behind just above the elbow and walk in a relaxed manner. In this position, the person can usually follow the motion of our body.We must provide visual cues such as stairs and other obstacles in their path. If there are others in a room that we enter, the blind person may not be aware of this. We must introduce each person by name and indicate where they are in the room relative to where the blind person is located. Guide dogs are working animals. There is a special relationship between the person who is blind and their dog. When working, it can be hazardous for the vision impaired person if the dog is distracted. NEVER pet or touch the dog without obtaining permission.
