Low Vision

What is Low Vision?

Low vision is not blindness, but it is not "just needing stronger glasses" either. It is a permanent, significant reduction in visual function that impacts daily life even after the best possible optical correction. The World Health Organization defines low vision as visual acuity between 20/70 and 20/400 in the better eye, or a visual field of less than 20 degrees.

Low vision can affect different aspects of sight:

• Central vision loss — difficulty seeing detail, faces, or reading text (common in macular degeneration)
• Peripheral vision loss — tunnel vision that affects navigation and awareness of surroundings (common in glaucoma and retinitis pigmentosa)
• Contrast sensitivity loss — difficulty distinguishing objects from backgrounds in low-contrast situations
• Light sensitivity — difficulty in bright or rapidly changing light conditions
• Reduced colour perception

Common causes include age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa, albinism, and cataracts (post-surgical residual loss).

How It Presents

People with low vision navigate a world designed for those with full sight, which creates substantial daily barriers:

• Reading printed text, menus, labels, and signs without magnification
• Recognizing faces at a distance
• Driving (most people with low vision cannot drive safely)
• Using standard digital interfaces with default font sizes and contrast levels
• Navigating unfamiliar environments safely

Low vision does not progress at the same rate for everyone — some conditions are stable, while others are slowly or rapidly progressive. Managing uncertainty about future vision is a significant aspect of life with low vision.

Assistive Technology

AT for low vision focuses on maximizing remaining functional vision:

• Screen magnification software — ZoomText, Windows Magnifier, and macOS Zoom enlarge the entire screen or specific areas
• Combined magnification and screen-reader tools — ZoomText Fusion combines magnification with JAWS; useful for those with severe low vision who benefit from both enlargement and audio
• Handheld and stand magnifiers — optical devices for reading labels, menus, and printed materials
• Electronic video magnifiers (CCTV systems) — place printed material under a camera and display it enlarged on a monitor
• High-contrast and large-print settings — operating systems and apps offer built-in high-contrast modes and text enlargement
• Bold and large-print materials — many publishers and government agencies offer large-print documents on request
• Monoculars and telescopic aids — for distance viewing such as reading bus numbers or whiteboards
• Lighting adjustments — task lighting significantly improves performance for many people with low vision

Common Misconceptions

• "If they can see at all, they don't need accommodations." Low vision significantly impacts function even when some sight remains.
• "Glasses will fix it." Low vision, by definition, cannot be corrected to normal with standard optical aids.
• "People with low vision shouldn't use a white cane." A cane is a mobility and safety tool; a person does not need to be totally blind to benefit from one.

Language and Identity

"Low vision" is the preferred clinical and community term. "Partially sighted" is also used, particularly in the UK. Many people with low vision identify as part of both the blind community and the broader disability community. Individual preferences around identity-first versus person-first language vary.