Low Vision Aids

Published by

Jitendar P Vij

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Low Vision Aids

© 2006, Monica Chaudhry

All rights reserved. No part of this publication should be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means: electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author and the publisher.

This book has been published in good faith that the material provided by author is original. Every effort is made to ensure accuracy of material, but the publisher, printer and author will not be held responsible for any inadvertent error(s). In case of any dispute, all legal matters are to be settled under Delhi jurisdiction only.

First Edition: 2006

ISBN 81-8061-789-0

Typeset at JPBMP typesetting unit

Printed at Paras Press

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my low vision patients, including my father, who showed me the light.

PREFACE

Very often an eye care professional has no answer to the patient’s eye disorders and they helplessly answer–‘Sorry, nothing can be done.’

The main objective of this book is to give them the answer that – something can be done even, after the best of medical and optical intervention has given up. To lose vision and adapt to the word visually disabled is a mental trauma for the patient and his family. The problem is that, many eye care professionals still do not realize and understand the importance of low vision services, and advise or refer them for such services. The patient lives all life-long dependent and handicapped just because the practitioner did not understand the importance of low vision devices, which would have made his life simpler and independent.

Although we are now having an increased awareness and increasing number of low vision centers in our country, yet the facilities are far too less. The government targets in future are quite promising in this sector.

Encouraging the young residents in ophthalmology and optometry to recognize the importance of enabling the partiallyseeing to utilize the array of these services should be a priority.

The purpose of this book is also to explain that the practitioner can guide and provide basic low vision care to each patient in his small set up also. The patients are often grateful, satisfied and will have confidence in your treatment, that you have done your best.

The target and answer should thus be we still can do something.

The purpose of this book is to make you:

•Understand the meaning of visual acuity in relation to normal vision, low vision and blindness. To identify people with low vision as distinct from those who have normal vision and those who are blind.

viiiLow Vision Aids

•Understand the effect of low vision.

•Describe problems that people with low vision face.

•How distance and near visual acuity is tested in low vision center.

•Understand the meaning of magnification and its different powers.

•How to prescribe low vision devices in the correct way, list advantages and disadvantages of each and teach a person with low vision how to use them.

•Understand the importance of rehabilitation and identify those who need it.

•Some addresses from where the devices can be procured. Low vision services do not cure the cause of the vision

problem but rather utilize the remaining vision to its fullest potential. Low vision care does not replace the need for other concurrent treatments such as laser, medication and surgery. Low vision doctors prescribe prescription eyewear, filters, microscopic — telescopic eyewear, magnifiers, adaptive equipment, closed circuit television systems, independent living aids, training and counsel patients.

The objective of low vision services is to provide special training or equipment so that visually impaired can join in activities in the home, school and community.

Monica Chaudhry

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I offer my sincere thanks to all those who helped me in writing this text. Without their dedication, it might have not been possible to bring out this publication.

First of all I thank my esteemed teachers Prof. VK Dada and Dr. Sarfaraz Khan who taught me whatever little I know about low vision. I am grateful to Prof. HK Tiwari who inspired me to work in this field.

A special word of thanks goes to Mr. Harminder Singh for his unstinting support for all the photographic work.

I am also grateful to Shivani Chawla for the art work and Prof. JS Titiyal for his able assistance.

Last but not the least I thank my publishers M/s Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) Ltd, New Delhi for providing excellent editorial and production expertise.