Definition of visual impairment

Visual impairment is defined as the limitation of actions and functions of the visual system.

The National Eye Institute defines low vision as a visual impairment not correctable by standard
glasses, contact lenses, medication or surgery that interferes with the ability to perform
activities of daily living.

Diffrent Types of Visual Impairments

1. Blind & Partial Blindness

Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment or vision loss, is a decreased ability to see
to a degree that causes problems not fixable by usual means, such as glasses. Some also include
those who have a decreased ability to see because they do not have access to glasses or
contact lenses. The term blindness is used for complete or nearly complete vision loss. Visual
impairment may cause people difficulties with normal daily activities such as driving, reading,
socializing, and walking.

The World Health Organization estimates that as of 2012 there were 285 million people who
were visually impaired in the world, of which 246 million had low vision and 39 million were
blind. The majority of people with poor vision are in the developing world and are over the age
of 50 years. 80% of visual impairment is either preventable or curable with treatment.

Visual impairments have considerable economic costs both directly due to the cost of
treatment and indirectly due to decreased ability to work.

Causes of Blindness & Partial Blindness

The most common causes of visual impairment globally are:

uncorrected refractive errors (43%)

cataracts (33%)

glaucoma (2%).

age related macular degeneration

corneal clouding

childhood blindness

infections

stroke

prematurity

trauma.

2. Colour Blindness

Colour blindness (colour vision deficiency, or CVD) affects approximately 1 in 12 men (8%) and 1
in 200 women in the world.

There are different causes of colour blindness. For the vast majority of people with deficient
colour vision the condition is genetic and has been inherited from their mother, although some
people become colour blind as a result of other diseases such as diabetes and multiple sclerosis
or they acquire the condition over time due to the aging process, medication etc.

Most colour blind people are able to see things as clearly as other people but they unable to
fully ‘see’ red, green or blue light. There are different types of colour blindness and there are
extremely rare cases where people are unable to see any colour at all.

Types

The most common form of colour blindness is known as red/green colour blindness and most
colour blind people suffer from this. Although known as red/green colour blindness this does
not mean sufferers mix up red and green, it means they mix up all colours which have some red
or green as part of the whole colour. For example, a red/green colour blind person will confuse
a blue and a purple because they can’t ‘see’ the red element of the colour purple.
Similar problems can arise across the whole colour spectrum affecting all reds, greens, oranges,
browns, purples, pinks and greys. Even black can be confused as dark green or dark blue.

Causes of Colour Blindness

The exact physical causes of colour blindness are still being researched but it is believed that
colour blindness is usually caused by faulty cones but sometimes by a fault in the pathway from
the cone to the brain.

The retina of the eye has two types of light-sensitive cells called rods and cones. Both are found
in the retina which is the layer at the back of your eye which processes images. Rods work in
low light conditions to help night vision, but cones work in daylight and are responsible for
colour discrimination.

There are three types of cone cells and each type has a different sensitivity to light
wavelengths. One type of cone perceives blue light, another perceives green and the third
perceives red. When you look at an object, light enters your eye and stimulates the cone cells.
Your brain then interprets the signals from the cones cells so that you can see the colour of the
object. The red, green and blue cones all work together allowing you to see the whole spectrum
of colours. For example, when the red and blue cones are simulated in a certain way you will
see the colour purple.

People with normal colour vision have all three types of cone/pathway working correctly but
colour blindness occurs when one or more of the cone types are faulty. For example, if the red
cone is faulty you won’t be able to see colours containing red clearly. Most people with colour
blindness can’t distinguish certain shades of red and green.

Colour blindness is a usually a genetic (hereditary) condition (you are born with it). Red/green
and blue colour blindness is usually passed down from your parents. The gene which is
responsible for the condition is carried on the X chromosome and this is the reason why many
more men are affected than women.
There are estimated to be over 250 million colour blind people worldwide. The vast majority of
people with a colour vision deficiency have inherited their condition from their mother, who is
normally a ‘carrier’ but not colour blind herself. Some people also acquire the condition as a
result of long-standing diseases such as:

Diabetes

Multiple sclerosis

Some liver diseases

Almost all eye diseases

The effects of colour vision deficiency can be mild, moderate or severe depending upon the
defect. If you have inherited colour blindness your condition will stay the same throughout your
life – it won’t get any better or worse.