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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2014 0:01:02 GMT -5
There are many types of being visually impaired. I have something called Peter's Anomaly which is actually is one of several in a constellation of diseases that causes corneal opacity due to dysgenesis of the anterior segment during development. Peters’ anomaly can cause devastating corneal opacity in an infant leading to severe amblyopia. I am considered legally blind.
Legal Blindness
In the United States, "legal blindness" is a definition developed by the federal government to determine eligibility for disability benefits and tax exemption programs. It's not a term that tells us very much about a person's ability to function, nor what an individual can and cannot see. In the United States, the criteria for legal blindness are:
Visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better-seeing eye with best conventional correction (meaning regular glasses or contact lenses); or A visual field (the total area an individual can see without moving the eyes from side to side) of 20 degrees or less (often known as "tunnel vision") in the better-seeing eye. For more information on the definitions of legal blindness, read Disability Evaluation Under Social Security, a publication from the Social Security Administration.
Light Perception
Light perception describes the ability to perceive the difference between light and dark, or daylight and nighttime. An individual can have severely reduced vision and still be able to determine the difference between light and dark. Light Projection
Light projection describes the ability to determine the general source and direction of a light. Again, an individual can have severely reduced vision and still be able to determine the general source and direction of a light. Total blindness
Total blindness is the complete lack of light perception and form perception, and is recorded as "NLP," an abbreviation for "no light perception."
Few people today are totally without sight. In fact, 85% of all individuals with eye disorders have some remaining sight; approximately 15% are totally blind.
Here are some basics of what people might say they are in regards to vision level.
Low Vision Severe: Performs visual tasks at a reduced level.
Low Vision Profound: Difficulty with gross visual tasks.
Near Blind: Vision unreliable.
Blind: Totally without sight.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2014 0:06:08 GMT -5
Part 1 of New Zealand Blind camp
Part two of New Zealand Blind camp
There are many eye conditions that fall into visual impairments. Most common are cataracts, glaucoma, astigmatism, myopia(nearsighted), Hyperopia (farsighted), peter's anomaly, albinism, etc...
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Post by Deleted on Jun 8, 2014 0:12:20 GMT -5
I also wanted to post some information about how to approach a visually impaired person and some myths around being visually impaired:
How Do I Interact with a Blind Person?
As with a person with any disability, the best approach is to interact with the person, not with his or her disability. In general, what you would do or say with a sighted person is appropriate for a person with a visual impairment. However, to be most courteous, here are some hints.
Introduce yourself by name and make eye contact when speaking. Speak in your usual conversational voice. When a blind person enters the room, identify yourself. Indicate the end of a conversation, and let a blind person know when you are walking away. Feel free to use vision-oriented words such as "see", "look", and "watch." Be specific when giving directions. Don't grab the arm of a person who is blind or visually impaired: offer yours instead. Don't interfere with a blind or visually impaired person's cane, and don't pet or feed dog guides When in doubt, just ask.
Myths About Blindness
Myth: People who are blind or severely visually impaired can't do most jobs.
Reality: People who are blind or have low vision are currently doing many jobs, some which may astound you. These are just a few:
Corporate executives (e.g., Senior VP, Marriott) World-class athletes (e.g., mountain climber who climbed Everest, Olympic runner) Politicians (e.g., New York state senator, mayor of a large city, Washington state representative) Jeopardy! (game show) champion
Myth: Accommodations are too expensive.
Reality: The cost of accommodation is typically low (88 percent of complete employee accommodations cost less than $1000) and easy to implement. The value—to morale, to loyalty in the workforce, and in retaining highly qualified people—can be very high.
Myth: Employees who are blind or visually impaired need more supervision than others.
Reality: Studies have proven that employees who are blind or visually impaired do not need more supervision. They may need different supervision to perform specific tasks. Most have a high desire and motivation to succeed. Given proper instruction, employees who are blind or visually impaired will perform competitively.
Myth: People who are blind or visually impaired cannot read printed or handwritten materials.
Reality: The advent of computers and technology has made nearly any kind of print accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired. Computer software can translate print into speech, magnify screen images, and enlarge text to a readable size. Occasionally human readers take care of the rest.
Myth: Vision loss means job loss and may mean the end of a person's productive employment.
Reality: State vocational rehabilitation agencies and private organizations are available to provide orientation and mobility training, career counseling, and skill development to help clients resume their current job duties or to qualify for other employment. There are workers who are blind or visually impaired in all walks of life who use learned skills and adaptive technology to become or remain productive in the workplace.
Myth: Studies show that hiring blind or visually impaired employees causes insurance rates to increase.
Reality: Insurance premiums are based on overall actuarial events. A single individual, even if he or she is blind or visually impaired, does not make an impact. Many states have passed regulations prohibiting differentiation in premiums on the basis of blindness without full actuarial evidence to support the distinction. A study by DuPont as validated by others, documented that 97 percent of employees with physical disabilities were rated average or above average on safety, compared with 92 percent of unimpaired employees.
Myth: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) gives the final accommodation decision to the requesting employee, yet the employer bears the cost.
Reality: The ultimate decision is the employer's: as long as the selection effectively removes necessary barriers. ADA requires an employer to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities who are employees or job applicants, except in cases that impose verifiable "undue hardship" to the employer. An accommodation is any change that will enable an individual "to enjoy equal employment opportunities and privileges."
Myth: ADA shields employees with disabilities from disciplinary action.
Reality: An employer is always at liberty to excuse or punish infractions of company standards. The employer must make reasonable and effective accommodations to an otherwise qualified employee to ensure that he or she can do the job and that job-related standards are met. The employee is then held to those standards in the same way as all other employees.
Myth: Blind people have special gifts: a "sixth sense."
Reality: People who are blind or visually impaired are not endowed with a sharper sense of touch, hearing, taste, or smell. To compensate for their loss of vision, many learn to listen more carefully, or remember without taking notes, or increase directional acumen to compensate for their lack of functional vision.
Myth: Most blind people are proficient in braille and own a dog guide.
Reality: Only a small percentage of blind or visually impaired readers are completely fluent in braille; many know enough braille for functional use, such as reading notes and labels. Most people who learn braille as adults do not develop the skill to read rapidly. Only a small percentage of blind or visually impaired people use a dog guide. They are invaluable tools and companions for those who do use them. Dog guides are trained to lead the person safely through crowds, across streets, and around obstructions. When the dog guide is harnessed, it's on duty. Once out of harness, the dog relaxes because it's off duty.
Myth:Blind people see only darkness, nothing else.
Reality: Only 18 percent of people who are visually impaired are classified as being totally blind and the majority of them can differentiate between light and dark.
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Post by ButterflyLady on Jul 18, 2014 14:14:56 GMT -5
Thank you for posting all of this information @arashi222. I had a blind friend when I was in high school and got to learn a little bit about braille.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2014 23:38:12 GMT -5
ButterflyLady you are so welcome. I find that people have all these preconceived ideas about blindness. Not everyone uses braille either. Most people have this idea that all blind people look blind and we don't.
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Post by ButterflyLady on Jul 18, 2014 23:46:26 GMT -5
Yea, it does seem like they do have these ideas that those who are visually impaired should "look blind" when you don't. I have never had perfect vision but my vision at this point is still pretty good comparatively. My mom has had increasing problems recently. I have always had a hard time focusing on things as long as I can remember. I know not everyone uses braille, just wanted to insert that.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2014 23:59:26 GMT -5
I know. I just find that people have this whole idea that people should look blind. Should act blind. Actually I read this article about how hard it is to offically diganose Blind people with Autism due to the whole 'blindisms'.
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Post by acetylenelamp on Jul 19, 2014 0:15:42 GMT -5
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Post by Warwick on Jul 19, 2014 0:16:27 GMT -5
Your last post sounds interesting Arashi, are you able to expand upon it at some stage.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2014 0:19:03 GMT -5
Oh there is this term called 'blindisms' it means they are often things for Non-Autistic that would signal Autism however in blind people we often rock, make no eye contact, things like that. Then there is the subset of blind people with Autism. Like me. We go beyond blindisms such as the no touching thing. Meltdowns things of that nature.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2014 20:16:41 GMT -5
I often have a hard time trying to explain to people how nearly night blind I am. When walking in areas with little or poor street lighting like the 1.5 miles I walk to work I have to walk in the street and use my hearing to listen for cars in order to move over to let them pass. I describe it as wearing a pair of shades at night. I can't drive at night without extra lighting on the car I'm driving Example: my last Honda had 2 100w driving lights, 2 amber fogs and high power (65w) headlights normal is 35w/55w. My daily vision allows me to just barely get a drivers license with an eye doctors help as I can't pass the dmv test. It makes work a bit difficultand going out at night scary if not plain hard!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 16, 2014 23:33:05 GMT -5
nolan1971 there are a lot of ways to explain blind to people. Its like using the way you explain Autism. I find that if I start with the spectrum. It helps. Also its hard for people to understand that you don't look blind. I get that a lot they say well you don't look blind so why do you need (x,y or z)... I find that the fact that visually impaired people with autism are even harder to diagnose because we tend to be more extreme in aspects of some things yet because we cannot see people attribute that behavior to being visually impaired. Also I find it really hard to ask people to help me like when I am with my friends. I find it hard to tell them what i need. Like if we are going down steps that frighten me or look flat. I often will stop and just stare at it but I won't ask for help because I don't want to have to remind them that I can't see.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 20, 2014 15:52:20 GMT -5
There are many eye disorders and reasons for visual impairments. Right now I am dealing with not only Peter's but the possibly of when my Retina detaches. I already have what they call lattice in the back of my right eye which is the pulling away of the retina from the back of my eye. Many signs that I have been told from my eye care team about Retinal detachment are floaters, Flasher (flashes of light that don't stop), Black curtain across the vision. There are several ways that people can end up with retinal detachment. One is by being myopic (nearsighted) this causes extra strain on the retina and it starts to pull away from the back of the eye. Also the other way people will probably have heard about is when people get Head trauma. If you hit your head that can also suddenly detach your retina. I guess I am writing this out in this section as away to deal with what is happening to me. If anyone has any questions I can answer them or I can find out the answer if I don't know. Right now I have a small tear or hole that they think happened which is what caused the pain.
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Post by Warwick on Jan 1, 2015 17:34:29 GMT -5
This article was on the cover of our local newpaper.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2015 0:28:20 GMT -5
I wanted to post a few things about Low Vision. People seem to have this idea about Blind people being completely without sight. So this is a few things that people have happen at a low vision evaluation like what i went through I got this info from Vision Aware
What Is a Low Vision Examination?
If you, a family member, or a friend has one or more eye disorders, such as glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, or diabetic retinopathy, it's important to have a low vision examination – performed by an ophthalmologist or optometrist who specializes in low vision – to determine whether special low vision optical devices, better lighting, large print reading materials, or other types of training, such as vision rehabilitation services, can help the person with low vision to use his or her functional vision more effectively.
An important part of the examination is for you, your doctor, and his or her social worker to discuss how you are adapting emotionally to your vision loss, whether you are motivated to learn a different way of doing things, and if you have family and friends to support you.
A comprehensive low vision examination is not rushed and is very thorough, taking 2-3 times longer than a regular eye examination. A Functional Eye Exam
The low vision eye care specialist is trained to conduct a functional eye examination that focuses directly on how a person's particular vision impairment affects his or her day-to-day living.
Some examples of functional vision problems can include:
Difficulty seeing the height of the gas flame when cooking Problems crossing streets or seeing traffic Difficulty seeing information on a computer screen Problems threading a needle or making clothing repairs Difficulty using the telephone book or reading magazines, even with regular eyeglasses.
Preparing for the Low Vision Examination
Before arriving for the low vision examination, it's helpful to make a list of questions for the doctor. Here are some suggestions:
What is the name of my eye disease or disorder? What is the cause of my vision loss? Is my condition stable, or can I lose more sight? Is there any treatment for it? What is my visual acuity? Do I have a loss of side (or peripheral) vision? Will regular eyeglasses help me? How can I protect my remaining vision? Do I need any special medications? Do I qualify as legally blind? If so, what does legally blind actually mean? Am I entitled to any special services or benefits? What resources and rehabilitation services are available to help me?
Also, it is helpful to make a list of activities that you want and need to do, such as sewing, playing cards, watching ball games, or going to the theater, and to list the types of reading materials you want, and need, to access. This information can help focus your discussions with your low vision doctor and his or her professional staff. Components of the The Low Vision Examination
A comprehensive low vision examination always includes the following components: A Health and Medication History
Your overall health and that of your immediate family The medications you are taking (prescription and over-the-counter) Questions about high blood pressure (hypertension), diabetes, smoking, and sun exposure.
A Vision History
How well you can see at present, including any recent changes in your vision Eye diseases that you or your family members have had Previous eye treatments, surgeries, or injuries The date of your last eye examination.
A Low Vision History
When your vision problems began Any prior vision rehabilitation services you've had Questions about activities that are becoming difficult for you, such as reading, meal preparation, and/or walking indoors and outdoors.
An Eye Health Evaluation
An examination of the external parts of your eyes, including the shape of your pupils and how they react to light, your eyelids and surrounding tissues, eye muscles, tear ducts, and cornea A dilated internal examination. Special eye drops will dilate, or open, your pupil, which allows the doctor to look through your enlarged pupil opening and observe the inner parts of your eye, such as the retina and optic nerve. A tonometry test of the fluid pressure, called intraocular pressure (IOP), within your eyes. Your doctor may also perform an optical coherence tomography (OCT) test, which produces a high-resolution cross-sectional image of the retina. This test can also be used to provide a clearer picture of the layers of the retina.
A Low Vision Refraction, or Visual Acuity Testing
Your doctor will use specialized low vision eye charts that are different from the eye charts used in a regular eye examination. These special low vision eye charts contain different-sized letters and numbers that can help determine the sharpness or clarity of both your near (reading) and distance vision.
Here are some examples of specialized low vision eye charts: The Bailey-Lovie Acuity Chart
The Bailey-Lovie Acuity Chart The EDTRS Chart
The Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) Chart The Lighthouse Near Visual Acuity Chart
The Lighthouse Near Visual Acuity Chart The Amsler Grid Test
Your doctor may also use the Amsler Grid test to check for the presence of macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy.
The Amsler Grid test looks like a piece of white graph paper with darker horizontal and vertical lines that form a square grid. Wavy, distorted, missing, or broken lines, or holes or black spots in the grid can indicate eye problems that require monitoring:
Amsler Grid Test
The Amsler Grid as seen with regular vision Amsler Grid Test distorted
The Amsler Grid as seen with macular degeneration Visual Field Testing
To determine how much side (or peripheral) vision you have and how much surrounding area you can see The low vision specialist will likely perform a very precise visual field measurement, using a computerized visual field analyzer, such as the Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer, or a non-computerized visual field test, such as the tangent screen or the Goldmann Perimeter Exam:
Humphrey Visual Field Test
The Humphrey Field Analyzer Goldmann Field Exam
The Goldmann Perimeter Exam Specialized Tests
Your doctor may also administer a number of specialized tests to evaluate:
depth perception color vision contrast sensitivity
The doctor and his or her staff may also introduce, and measure your response to, different lighting conditions and different colored sunlenses and filters that can control glare. Questions Your Doctor Will Ask
Since much of the examination will focus on what your functional needs are in your day-to-day life, you will be asked a wide range of easy-to-answer questions. Some of these questions will be about your habits or activities in reading and near vision activities, such as the following:
What size print can you now read? Do you want to continue reading newspapers? Can you read your bills? Do you "spot read" more than you read novels or books? Have you had low vision devices, such as magnifiers, in the past? If so, do you still use them? If not, why not?
In terms of everyday activities, questions may include:
Can you see to use a checkbook? Can you read your watch? Can you do regular household tasks, such as cleaning and laundry? Can you care for your personal grooming needs, such as shaving or applying makeup? Can you see to use a computer? Are you able to continue your hobbies? Can you watch television? Can you travel independently and safely? Are you still driving? If so, do you still feel safe driving? Does bright sunlight bother you? Has your vision problem affected your employment or educational studies? If you're a diabetic, can you see to fill your insulin syringes? Can you differentiate among your medications?
All of these questions are designed to gather information about your day-to-day functional needs and explore possible options for addressing those needs. Vision Rehabilitation Services
Certified Low Vision Therapists (CLVTs), Vision Rehabilitation Therapists (CVRTs), and Orientation and Mobility Specialists (COMS) often work in close partnership with the optometrist or ophthalmologist and can provide training in how to use low vision optical or non-optical devices in practical everyday situations.
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