Council on Aging Answers 2015 - 34

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COUNCIL ON AGING - ORANGE COUNTY

Low Vision and Blindness:
Myths and Realities
For most people, diminished vision is a normal part
of aging. But living with fading vision can make some
activities more difficult, such as reading small print,
watching television, playing golf or enjoying other activities.
Low vision means having impaired vision that cannot
be corrected by glasses, surgery or medication. The most
common cause of low vision is macular degeneration,
an age-related disease that affects the central portion of
your visual field. Other common causes include glaucoma, cataracts and diabetes.
If You are Blind or Visually Impaired
Low vision affects every person differently and requires looking at vision-improvement approaches to focus on the patient's particular problem. If you are visually impaired, it is important to let others know that you
wish to maintain the greatest amount of independence
and self-respect.
When sighted people encounter a person who is blind
or visually impaired there are many outdated stereotypes and misconceptions that can be dismissed as the
following myths and their opposing realities are understood.
34

Answers Guide 2015

Myth: All legally blind people are totally blind
and can see only darkness.
Reality: Most people who are legally blind have some
residual vision. Legal blindness means that a person
with normal vision can see the big "E" on a standard eye
chart at 200 feet, whereas a person who is legally blind
can only see it a 20 feet. A person with normal sight has
a 180 degree field of vision, whereas if a person's eyesight
can encompass only a field of 20 degree or less, this is
considered legal blindness. More than 75 percent of
legally blind people can use their residual vision to perform many of life's daily tasks.
Myth: People who are deprived of sight are
compensated by increased acuteness in their other
senses.
Reality: Being blind does not usually make other
senses more acute. With proper training, however, a
blind person can learn to use his or her other senses
more efficiently by using different means to achieve the
same end goals.
Myth: People who are legally blind can further
damage their remaining sight through normal use.

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Council on Aging Answers 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Council on Aging Answers 2015

Contents
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