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Causes of Low Vision

• Macular Degeneration (the most common cause of low vision; involve damage to a persons central vision making it difficult ot read, drive, or perform other daily activities that require fine, central vision)
• Congenital defect (present at birth)
• Injury
• Disease (including diabetes)
• Other eye diseases (i.e.,glaucoma, cataracts)

Different Types of Low Vision

• Disabled or partial peripheral vision
• Disabled or partial color vision
• Disabled or partial ability to adjust to different light settings
• Disabled or partial ability to adjust to different contrasts

Low Vision Devices

Because low vision cannot be improved by more traditional methods (i.e., the use of eyeglasses, contact lenses, etc.) persons with low vision often rely on the use of a number of different instruments, called low vision devices, and tailored equipment for improved vision. Low vision devices, categorized as either optical or non-optical, help to improve visual ability for millions of people everyday.

Optical Low Vision Devices 

• Magnifying devices (magnifying eye glasses, hand magnifiers, magnifying lamps, telescopic viewing devices, etc.)
• Closed circuit television, or CCTV (involves enlarged images, exaggerated contrasts, and adjustable magnification)

Non-Optical Low Vision Devices

• Larger print items (magazines, newspapers, books, calendars, address books, cookbooks, dictionaries, games, playing cards, street signs, etc.)
• Larger, illuminated watches and clocks
• Writing guides
• Instruments that provide voice instruction (computers)
• Instruments that provide voice information (clocks, timers, calculators, scales, key chains, etc.)