An estimated 16.5 million Americans have low vision, a visual impairment that cannot be corrected with standard glasses, contact lenses, medicine, or surgery. People with vision loss may have difficulty recognizing the faces of friends and relatives; performing everyday tasks such as reading, cooking, or sewing; picking out matching clothes; and reading street signs, even with regular glasses or contact lenses.
Eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and cataracts are the leading causes of visual impairment in people over 65. Certain racial and ethnic groups, including Hispanics/Latinos and African Americans, are at an increased risk for eye diseases.
Numerous vision rehabilitation services are available to help cope with low vision. The National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health is working with OASIS and other organizations across the country to educate the public about vision rehabilitation.
With support from a Healthy Vision 2010 grant from the NEI, OASIS is offering Staying Active: Managing Your Vision Changes. The course includes:
- Facts about age-related vision changes
- Samples of assistive devices
- Review of the home environment for easy modifications
- The human guide technique, a safe and efficient way for someone with a visual impairment to walk with a sighted person
- Information about community resources
The National Eye Institute (NEI) conducts and supports research that leads to sight-saving treatments and plays a key role in reducing visual impairment. The NEI is part of the National Institutes of Health, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For more information, visit the NEI Website at www.nei.nih.gov.
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