Introduction
What is it like to live with a visual impairment? A visual impairment can range from total blindness, to partial vision loss. The definition of blindness is that you cannot see anything and do not see light. But, the legal definition of being blind is someone with vision that is worse than 20/200 with glasses or contact lenses. Some people may experience some vision loss, but still not be legally blind. Vision loss can be caused through genetics, old age, or an accident. The most common forms of eye diseases are; diabetes, glaucoma, macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, or optic neuritis. No matter which circumstance may be true for someone with a visual impairment, they are all an adjustment to learn how to live. You may have been born with a visual impairment, or lost your vision later in life, both have their challenges. How can someone with a visual impairment live independently and function in today's high paced world? Well, it has been proven by many that it can be done. Blind people have climbed Mount Everest, become Doctors and teachers, ran marathons, and been parents to sighted children.
http://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-visual-impairment.aspx
Task
In this webquest we will learn what is is like to live with a visual impairment. What are the daily issues someone who is visually impaired must face. What are the solutions and resources available to help those with visual impairments succeed and live independently.
This is a link for famous people that have thrived in life with their visual impairments:
https://brailleworks.com/braille-resources/famous-people-with-visual-im…
Process
Here is a list of websites of information and videos about how people with visual impairments live independently:
http://www.afb.org/info/living-with-vision-loss/1
http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/sight/visual_impairment…
www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9CawJSUy2c
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWp4TDP1AsE
Evaluation
Hopefully these websites have helped you gain some knowledge and perspective on living with a visual impairment. The first link showed us the multiple levels of vision loss and different eye conditions. It gave individuals a guide to how to cope with losing your vision, different tips and techniques in how to adjust. These suggestions varied from simple things such as how to put toothpaste on your toothbrush, or pour a glass of water, to more advanced methods of how to use a computer with voice software. The site also had tips for parents who might be raising someone with a visual impairment, as they also have an adjustment in their life. Seniors also may lose their vision, and there are programs and organizations that can assist in helping them cope as well. The second link we looked at talks about how we can take care of our eyes, to help avoid vision problems. It talked about the different eye conditions and treatments available for those conditions. The primary eye condition which affects teenagers is retinitis pigmentosa, which usually happens between the ages of 18-40. The main eye condition that effects seniors, is macular degeneration, which usually happens after the age of 65. The first video I posted shows us different eye conditions, and what it is like to see with those particular conditions. Most of them there is partial vision, with only spots, or blurriness someone must look through. For instance, someone with macular degeneration can only see through their peripheral vision, as opposed to someone with RP, that can only see through a small pin hole in the center of their vision. The last video I posted is of students who are learning how to navigate without their vision. Some use a cane, some use a service dog, but all use their hearing senses and mind to navigate. As a visually impaired person, they must learn using their hearing to distinguish obstacles and their surroundings. A cane is a good aid to help feel what obstacles may be in their way, while a dog can help navigate those surroundings as well.
Conclusion
I hope you have learned through the websites, videos, and my summaries, about visual impairments. There are many different forms of visual impairments, types of eye conditions that cause those impairments, and resources to help live with those impairments. Just like someone may have different colored hair then someone else, so may eye conditions be different, so each answer to how to live with those conditions may not be the same. But, there are solutions and proof that living with a visual impairment can be overcome, and the individual can lead an independent fulfulling life.
