Visual Impairment

Introduction

People with a visual handicap come from all kinds of background. Some are young; however, most people who are visually handicapped are elderly, having lost their sight as they have grown older. There is a distinction made between severe visual handicap and partial sight. A person with a visual handicap experience a great reduction in the ability to gather information about the external environment through the sense of sight. Hearing and touch then play a significant role, as visually handicapped people become more reliant upon these senses.

Main Categories

Once a visual disability has been confirmed by a consultant ophthalmologist (and this is usually assessed in co-operation with the family doctor), it is advisable to register with the social services department in order to receive the range of services available both locally and nationally. The Certificate of Registration has to be completed by a consultant ophthalmologist, and there are three main categories of vision;

(i) technically blind,

(ii) partially sighted, and

(iii) partially sighted and entitled to use services appropriate to blind people.

The statutory definition of partial sight, but, where there is a substantial and permanent handicap by defective vision, then a person can come within the scope of welfare services that local authorities provide for people who are blind. It may be stated on the certificate that the person is likely to become blind soon or that the nature of the visual defect is such that benefit could be gained from training for employment or other services appropriate to a person who is blind.

In these circumstances, the person who is partially sighted can be eligible for a greater range of services. It is important to realize that many people who are registered blind nevertheless have a useful amount of residual vision (that is some remaining sensitivity to light). On the other hand, many people who have too much sight to be able to register as blind do experience a serious visual handicap. Some of the latter group is categorized as ‘partially sighted’. But there are probably-people with impaired vision who do not appear on any register of visually or other handicapped people.