Low vision: Types of vision loss and common effects on activities of daily life

Chapter 2 provided a conceptual framework for understanding visual impairment, explaining how visual impairment affects function, describing the continuum of vision loss from (near) normal to (near) blindness with a brief description of the functional problems that occur through the progression of vision loss. This chapter will build on that conceptual framework, offering details on the demographics of low vision, describing the types of functional problems that are commonly experienced by persons with low vision, and offering the most common management strategies for addressing these problems. Keep in mind that many causes of low vision have no medical treatment or the medical treatments that are available will delay the progression of disease but not halt or reverse it. Therefore low vision habilitation for children and low vision rehabilitation for adults will take place in the.