Topic 1: Understanding Visual Impairment
Visual impairment is not the same for everyone. Some young people have low vision, others have partial sight, while others are blind. Some are born with a visual impairment, while others lose their sight later in life.
Types of Visual Impairments
- Low vision – a person can see, but their vision is limited and cannot be fully corrected with glasses or contact lenses.
- Partial sight – a person has some useful vision and may see light, colours, shapes or movement, but may not see details clearly.
- Blindness – a person has very little or no useful vision in everyday life.
- Colour blindness – a person has difficulty seeing or telling the difference between certain colours.
- Blurred vision – a person sees things less clearly and may have difficulty focusing on objects.
- Loss of peripheral vision – a person may not be able to see well from the sides of their vision.
- Light sensitivity – a person finds bright lights uncomfortable or difficult to look at.
- Night blindness – a person has difficulty seeing in dark or low-light environments.
- Tunnel vision – a person can see clearly in the centre but has limited vision around the edges.
- Distorted vision – a person may see shapes, lines or objects in a different or unclear way.