Low Vision Clinic and Rehabilitation

What low vision means

People are often told, after treatment has done all it can, that “nothing more can be done”. In terms of restoring sight, that may be true. In terms of what a person can do with the sight they have, it very often is not.

Low vision services do not treat the eye disease. They address the practical consequences of it: reading, writing, recognising faces, moving about safely, managing at school or at work.

Common causes

• Glaucoma
• Diabetic retinopathy
• Age-related macular degeneration
• Corneal scarring
• Inherited retinal conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa
• Optic nerve disease
• Amblyopia and untreated childhood eye conditions
• Consequences of eye injury

What a low vision assessment involves

An assessment is longer and different from a standard eye test. We measure your vision in detail, including how you use your remaining sight, contrast sensitivity and your field of vision.

Just as importantly, we talk about your life: what you are struggling to do, what matters most to you, whether you are in school, at work or running a household. The plan that comes out of it is built around those specific tasks rather than around a number on a chart.

Visual aids and strategies

• Magnifiers: hand-held, stand and illuminated, matched to the task
• Telescopic aids: for seeing at a distance, such as a blackboard or signage
• Better lighting: often the single most effective and cheapest change
• High contrast: dark on light, bold pens, marked edges on steps
• Large print and screen magnification, including the accessibility settings built into most phones
• Screen readers and audio for those who can no longer read comfortably
• Eccentric viewing training: learning to use the healthier part of the retina where central vision is lost
• Orientation and mobility guidance for moving about safely

Support for children and for work

Children with low vision can, with the right support, learn alongside their classmates. That usually means a seat at the front, large print or magnification, extra time, good lighting and a teacher who understands the condition. We are glad to advise families and schools.

For adults, the aim is to keep people in their trade, farm, office or business wherever it is possible, which is usually a matter of the right aid and the right adjustments rather than a change of livelihood.

Visit the low vision clinic

If you or a family member has been told that treatment has reached its limit, a low vision assessment is the next step, not the end of the road. St Joseph’s Eye Hospital Mgbirichi runs a low vision clinic and rehabilitation service for patients across Imo State and the South East.