Factsheets Low Vision Services for Adults with Learning Disabilities

What is low vision?

Many people with sight problems benefit from advice, training and equipment.  People need to make the best use their sight regardless of whether they were born with a visual impairment or have developed a sight-threatening condition.

Low vision is when a person’s vision is reduced, even when the person is wearing the correct glasses or contact lenses.

People with learning disabilities can really benefit from low vision services.  However, people with learning disabilities are rarely referred to low vision services. This is often because a lot of low vision support is directed towards helping people read print or use complicated gadgets.  As people with learning disabilities may not read or be able to use equipment, it is wrongly assumed that they will not benefit from a low vision assessment.

We hope this factsheet will provide people with clear reasons to use low vision services.

How do you find out if someone has low vision?

Most people who have low vision should already have been seen by an ophthalmologist.  The ophthalmologist or the person's own GP should know if a person has low vision.  

If you are not sure, ask the optometrist when the person next goes there for an eye test.  If the person has an eye hospital appointment, ask the doctor or nurse.   

Low Vision Clinics

Low vision clinics are usually based in eye hospitals, although an increasing number of optometrists now provide this service in the community.  Some low vision services can visit people in their own home.

There are low vision committees.  Information about these committees can be found at: www.vision2020uk.org.uk

How Low Vision Services can help people with learning disabilities

Information

Most people with low vision are helped by:       

• clear and accessible information about their own eye condition.
• having someone explain why they see in a particular way.  Explaining an eye condition and how it is likely to affect the person throughout their daily life is one of the most valuable things a low vision service can provide.  It is important that the person’s supporters know this information as well.
• having information about when the person might experience difficulties - such as with glare, moving from light to dark areas, and so on. 
• information about low vision being written in the person’s health action plan.

Lighting

Most people with low vision are helped by:       

• knowing about the most appropriate lighting levels to undertake their chosen activities.
• a low vision assessment that makes suggestions about what is the best lighting for a person with low vision, so that the person is comfortable and able to see better.  Many people find bright light painful and may experience ‘glare’ when others do not consider the light particularly bright.

Contrast 

Most people with low vision are helped by:       

• Understanding how contrast might help them.  Contrast is how well something is visible against its background.  It is hard to see a white plate on a white tablecloth because it does not contrast with the background.  It is easier to see a white plate on a green tablecloth.
• low vision specialists finding out if someone has poor contrast vision and advising on practical ways that might make it easier to see things.  

Size  

Most people with low vision are helped by:       

• A low vision assessment that measures what is the best size of image, object or print to use for each person.  This will depend on the person’s eye condition.

Low vision aids/devices  

Most people with low vision can be helped by:       

• magnifiers that make things look bigger and therefore easier to see.  Low vision aids can be used for lots of different things.  People often use them for readin, but they can also be used for many other leisure activities.  
• training to get the best use from a low vision aid.  
• having the right low vision aids.  Aids come in all shapes, sizes and forms.  Some are hand-held magnifiers or on stands that sit on the page.  Others are like rulers or paperweights.  Low vision aids can be mounted on special glasses.  Small telescopes and binoculars help people view things at a distance.  The strength of low vision aids varies.  Some are strong and some weak.  Some are very small, while others are very big - such as closed circuit televisions.  
• having different low vision aids for different tasks - such as a hand-held magnifier for reading and a small telescope to read the number on the bus.  
• a low vision specialist will be able to decide if a person would benefit from low vision aids and if so, which ones.  
• advice about loaning low vision aids.  Low vision aids are normally free on permanent loan from low vision clinics through the Hospital Eye Service.

Training  

Most people with low vision are helped by:       

• training and advice about how to use their eyes to see better and what can be achieved.
• having advice about how to use their limited sight and make sense of the magnified image produced by a lens or electronic aid.  Things that may seem ‘straightforward’ to a supporter with ‘ordinary vision’ need practice. 

People with low vision may need to keep practising in order to gain the most benefit from a low vision technique, such as:         

• information on how to sit comfortably       
• advice on holding a low vision aid in the right way       
• demonstrations of ways to move objects, print or pictures or search out words written on a poster

Low Vision Support should be available to everyone as a right.

Advice and support from Low Vision specialists can be of great support to the daily lives of people with learning disabilities.

Wales Eye Care Initiative – Low Vision Scheme

People living in Wales can access low vision services wherever they see this sign in an optometrist’s or optician’s service. For more information click on http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sites3/page.cfm?pid=12774&orgid=562 or contact: Welsh Low Vision Scheme, Carmarthenshire Local Health Board, Unit 5 Parc Dafen, Heol Cropin, Llanelli, Carmathenshire, SA 14 8QW 

June 2009

Related Information:

Assessment and Registration 

Recognising Eye Problems in People with Learning Disabilities