Many of you may not know that October is blindness awareness month. I have put this article together in attempt to raise awareness and educate.

Imagine what it would be like to have to use a cane just to move through you environment, or not being able to read your mail or the phone book. Imagine having to use visual aids such as magnifiers just to read the labels on soup cans, or relying completely on a seeing eye dog to be your eyes to navigate the world. Imagine having to wear corrective lenses just to do simple needs like dressing yourself, or just to get out of bed so you won't run into anything
Imagine not being able to see ANYTHING.

Blindness has been my life. It is all I have ever known. Since birth I have had scarring on my retinas due to toxoplasmosis. I have been legally blind since the day I was born. More recently I had been diagnosed with a disease of the cornea called keratoconus, which caused me to have two corneal transplants in the last two years. And yes, I am still legally blind. This article is not about the poor me, but what blindness is, how it affects people, and what you can do to prevent it. I have also included resources that can be obtained to help the visually impaired. Blindness may be a part of your world as well. Whether it be you, a friend, or family member.
The following information I have gathered from several resources listed at the bottom of the article, plus some personal information from my own experiences.

I invite you to take the time to read the information posted below.





How Visual Disability Is Determined.

In order to determine which people may need special assistance because of their visual disabilities, various governmental jurisdictions have formulated more complex definitions referred to as legal blindness. In North America and most of Europe, legal blindness is defined as visual acuity (vision) of 20/200 (6/60) or less in the better eye with best correction possible. This means that a legally blind individual would have to stand 20 feet (6 m) from an object to see it with the same degree of clarity as a normally sighted person could from 200 feet (60 m). In many areas, people with average acuity who nonetheless have a visual field of less than 20 degrees (the norm being 180 degrees) are also classified as being legally blind. Approximately ten percent of those deemed legally blind, by any measure, have no vision. The rest have some vision, from light perception alone to relatively good acuity. Low vision is sometimes used to describe visual acuities from 20/70 to 20/200.

By the 10th Revision of the WHO International Statistical Classification of Diseases, Injuries and Causes of Death, low vision is defined as visual acuity of less than 6/18, but equal to or better than 3/60, or corresponding visual field loss to less than 20 degrees, in the better eye with best possible correction. Blindness is defined as visual acuity of less than 3/60, or corresponding visual field loss to less than 10 degrees, in the better eye with best possible correction.

In the November 2004 article Magnitude and causes of visual impairment, the WHO estimated that in 2002 there were 161 million (about 2.6% of the world population) visually impaired people in the world, of whom 124 million (about 2%) had low vision and 37 million (about 0.6%) were blind.

Causes of blindness.

Diseases.

Most visual impairment is caused by disease and malnutrition. According to WHO estimates in 2002, the most common causes of blindness around the world are:

* cataracts (47.8%),
* glaucoma (12.3%),
* uveitis (10.2%),
* age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (8.7%),
* trachoma (3.6%),
* corneal opacity (5.1%), and
* diabetic retinopathy (4.8%), among other causes.

People in developing countries are significantly more likely to experience visual impairment as a consequence of treatable or preventable conditions than are their counterparts in the developed world. While vision impairment is most common in people over age 60 across all regions, children in poorer communities are more likely to be affected by blinding diseases than are their more affluent peers.

In developing countries, wherein people have shorter life expectancies, cataracts and water-borne parasites—both of which can be treated effectively—are most often the culprits. Of the estimated 40 million blind people located around the world, 70–80% can have some or all of their sight restored through treatment.

The link between poverty and treatable visual impairment is most obvious when conducting regional comparisons of cause. Most adult visual impairment in North America and Western Europe is related to age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.
In developed countries where parasitic diseases are less common and cataract surgery is more available, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy are usually the leading causes of blindness.

Abnormalities and injuries.

Eye injuries, most often occurring in people under 30, are the leading cause of monocular blindness (vision loss in one eye) throughout the United States. Injuries and cataracts affect the eye itself, while abnormalities such as optic nerve hypoplasia affect the nerve bundle that sends signals from the eye to the back of the brain, which can lead to decreased visual acuity.
People with injuries to the occipital lobe of the brain can, despite having undamaged eyes and optic nerves, still be legally or totally blind.

Blindness prevention.

Get a complete eye examination by your ophthalmologist or optometrist every year.

People with a family history of an eye disorder such as glaucoma or macular degeneration and those who are considered "high risk" should receive a complete dilated exam.

Quit smoking. Smokers are four times to six times at greater risk for age-related macular degeneration.

Protect your eyes from the sun.

You should choose sunglasses that:

* reduce glare
* filter out 99-100% of UV rays
* protect your eyes
* are comfortable to wear
* do not distort colors.

Follow a healthy diet and stay physically fit.

Some simple precautions to help prevent eye injury.

*Know that regular eyeglasses don't always provide enough protection
*Use proper eye protection.

Safety eyewear protection includes:

* Non-prescription and prescription safety glasses.
* Goggles.
* Face shields.
* Welding helmets.
* Full-face respirators.
* Safety eyewear and helmets for sports.

Adaptive techniques.

Visually impaired and blind people have devised a number of techniques that allow them to complete daily activities using their remaining senses. These might include the following:

* Adaptive computer software that allows people with visual impairments to interact with their computer via audio or screen magnifiers.
* Adaptive mobile phones that allows people with visual impairments to interact with their phones via audio or screen magnifiers. These mobile phones uses software called Mobile Speak a screen reader from Code Factory [link] It provides audio feedback to every functionality on the phone.
* Adaptations of banknotes so that the value can be determined by touch. For example:
- In some currencies, such as the euro, pound sterling and Australian dollar, the size of a note increases with its value.
- Many banknotes from around the world have a tactile feature to indicate denomination in the upper right corner. This tactile feature is a series of raised dots, but it is not standard Braille.
- It is also possible to fold notes in different ways to assist recognition.
* Labeling and tagging clothing and other personal items
* Placing different types of food at different positions on a dinner plate
* Marking controls of household appliances

Most people, once they have been visually impaired long enough, devise their own adaptive strategies in all areas of personal and professional management.

Mobility.

Orientation and Mobility Specialist are professionals who are specifically trained to teach people with visual impairments how to travel safely, confidently, and independently in the home and the community.

Many people with serious visual impairments can travel independently assisted by tactile paving and/or using a white cane with a red tip - the international symbol of blindness.

A small number of people employ guide dogs. Although the dogs can be trained to navigate various obstacles, they are not capable of interpreting street signs. The human half of the guide dog team does the directing, based upon skills acquired through previous mobility training.

Many blind people will accept help, however, make sure that they are aware that you are going to help them, and offer your arm, not your whole body.

Remember, do not assume they need help, but don't be afraid to kindly offer your assistance.


Reading and magnification.

Most blind and visually impaired people read print, either of a regular size or enlarged through the use of magnification devices. The rest read Braille, or rely on talking books and readers or reading machines. They use computers with special hardware such as scanners and refreshable Braille displays as well as software written specifically for the blind, like optical character recognition applications and screen reading software.

Some people access these materials through agencies for the blind, such as the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped in the United States, the National Library for the Blind or the RNIB in the United Kingdom.

Closed-circuit televisions, equipment that enlarges and contrasts textual items, are a more high-tech alternative to traditional magnification devices. So too are modern web browsers, which can increase the size of text on some web pages through browser controls or through user-controlled style sheets.

Computers.

Access technology such as Freedom Scientific's JAWS for Windows screen reading software enable the blind to use mainstream computer applications. Most legally blind people (70% of them across all ages, according to the Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind) do not use computers. Only a small fraction of this population, when compared to the sighted community, have Internet access. This bleak outlook is changing, however, as availability of assistive technology increases, accompanied by concerted efforts to ensure the accessibility of information technology to all potential users, including the blind. Linux distributions (as Live CDs) for the blind include Oralux and Adriane Knoppix, the latter developed in part by Adriane Knopper who has a visual impairment. The Macintosh OS also comes with a built-in screen reader, called VoiceOver. Later versions of Microsoft Windows include an Accessibility Wizard & Magnifier for those with partial vision.

The movement towards greater web accessibility is opening a far wider number of websites to adaptive technology, making the web a more inviting place for visually impaired surfers.

Experimental approaches in sensory substitution are beginning to provide access to arbitrary live views from a camera.

Other aids.

People may use talking thermometers, enlarged or marked oven dials, talking watches, talking clocks, talking scales, talking calculators, talking compasses and other talking equipment.

Many of the above mentioned aids and devices can be obtained through local organizations such as The Lighthouse at minimal to no cost.



I hope that the information you just read has made you more aware of what blindness is can be. Take preventative measures to protect your eye sight and cherish what you have. Although some of us may be visually impaired, it does not mean we must struggle to live in a sightless or low vision world. Together we can all help in one way or another to prevent blindness.

You can read more about blindness and blindness prevention at the links below. These organizations are rich with information, resources, and may one day be able to help you or a loved one.


References, sited material and external links:

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