Visual Impairment

Question 1

Quality of vision is referred to in terms of what?

Answer 1

• acuity and field

Question 2

What does the 20/20 method measure?

Answer 2

• visual acuity of eye

Question 3

What is field of vision?

Answer 3

• area within which objects can be seen when eyes are fixed straight ahead

Question 4

What is visual impairment/vision loss?

Answer 4

• refers to a range of visual ability - legal blindness,

partially sighted, totally blind

Question 5

What is legal blindness?

Answer 5

• 20/200 in the better eye even with the best
  correction
• 200 FOV

Question 6

What does it mean to be partially sighted?

Answer 6

• can make out shapes and object

Question 7

What is the average age for someone with a visual impairment?

Answer 7

• 40

Question 8

What percentage of Canadians will experience vision loss after the age of 65?

Answer 8

• 1/9

Question 9

What percentage of Canadians will experience vision loss after the age of 80?

Answer 9

• 1/4

Question 10

What are some common causes of vision loss in children?

Answer 10

• congenital cataracts, optic nerve disease, retinopathy of prematurity

Question 11

What are some common causes of vision loss in adults?

Answer 11

• cataracts, macular degeneration, diabetes

Question 12

What is the retina?

Answer 12

• inner lining of eyeball
• expansion of optic nerve
• sensory receptors for light
• tissue which lines the inside of the eye and sends visual images to the brain

Question 13

What are three conditions of the retina to be aware of?

Answer 13

• detachment, pigmentosa & glaucoma

Question 14

What is retinal detachment?

Answer 14

• retina separates from back of the eye and detaches causing blurry or blind spot in field of vision
• as cells die vision is lost

Question 15

Why does the retina detach?

Answer 15

• detaches because of small tares or holes
• fluid may seep through the small tares and flow between back wall of eye and the retina
• eye diseases,
  complications of diabetes and or tumours
• avoid activities that will jar the head

Question 16

What is retinal pigmentosa?

Answer 16

• inherited
• slow but progressive degeneration of retinal cells causing loss of vision (light sensing cells)
• restricts vision field, causes tunnel vision and
  night blindness
• avoid low light activities

Question 17

What is glaucoma?

Answer 17

• increased pressure inside of the eyeball damages optic nerve
• affects peripheral vision and with time can affect central vision and can result in complete loss of vision
• avoid activities that include increased eye pressure (swimming)

Question 18

What is retinopathy of prematurity?

Answer 18

• abnormal growth of blood vessels within the retina and vitreous that occurs in some premature infants
• nutrients are not delivered to the retina properly
• blood vessels are fragile and prone to leak

Question 19

What can later stages of retinopathy of prematurity lead to?

Answer 19

• can lead to the formation of scar tissue on the retina, vitreous hemorrhage, and retinal detachment

Question 20

How can ROP damage the brain?

Answer 20

• oxygen is poorly circulated/regulated in the incubator and too much oxygen damages the retina, may cause mild damage to the brain

Question 21

What is cataracts?

Answer 21

• clouding of the lens of the eye

- may affect just a small part of the lens, or it may cloud the entire lens

Question 22

What does the lens of the eye do?

Answer 22

• located near the front of the eye

- focuses light on the retina, to form the images we see

Question 23

What can cause changes in the medical makeup of the lens?

Answer 23

• aging, certain medications (e.g. steroids), genetics, eye injuries, or certain diseases can cause cataracts

Question 24

Can children get cataracts?

Answer 24

• yes, congenital cataracts

- inherited, or cause by an eye infection before birth?

Question 25

What are some causes of cataracts?

Answer 25

- caused by a change in the chemical makeup of the lens | - eye injuries, such as a hard blow, puncture, cut, intense heat, or chemical burn can damage the lens, diabetes

Question 26

What is diabetic retinopathy?

Answer 26

- change in blood vessels that feed retina | - vessels can either dry up and prevent nutrients from reaching retina or they can leak and ‘flood’ the area

Question 27

How many diabetics get diabetic retinopathy?

Answer 27

- 1/4

Question 28

What is proliferative diabetic retinopathy?

Answer 28

- as the disease advances, blood vessels become blocked or closed and parts of retina die - new blood vessels grow, abnormally, and tend to bleed into eyes, blocking vision - scar tissue forms, retina tears, and retina can detach itself from the back of the eye

Question 29

How can retinopathy be treated?

Answer 29

- lasers seal leaky vessels, stop growth of new ones

Question 30

What is macular degeneration?

Answer 30

- most common cause of severe vision loss in Canada, esp. among elderly - blurred central vision - macula can become distorted or thin, or abnormal blood vessels develop and leak fluid and blood under macula, into retina

Question 31

How can vision impairment affect development?

Answer 31

- motor development and performance is often delayed in infants who have a visual impairment - lack of play and social skills

Question 32

How can visual impairment affect physical activity?

Answer 32

- can be difficult to teach movement patterns - lowered fitness than sighted peers - mechanical inefficiency in gait in unfamiliar areas

Question 33

What are some considerations for physical activity opportunities?

Answer 33

- brightly coloured & auditory equipment - make distinction between surfaces to indicate out of bounds - braille on swimming pool walls - guidewires - difficulty with spatial awareness and body image

Question 34

What are some considerations for movement?

Answer 34

- walking in a straight line; making turns - facing sounds, people - find starting point after a short walk - relate direction to sunshine

Question 35

What are some considerations for sound usage?

Answer 35

- bouncing objects - catch bouncing object - follow a voice - jump rope

Question 36

What are some considerations for orientation and mobility training?

Answer 36

- demonstrate/talk about how to play - pump legs while swinging - jungle gym - teeter-totter with friends

Question 37

What are some considerations for safety?

Answer 37

- orientation (landmarks, anchor points) | - consistent, clutter–free area

Question 38

What are some considerations for communication?

Answer 38

- descriptive language - brailling or hand-body manipulation - augmented sensory information (beeper balls, bright colour strip on badminton net etc.) - ‘buddies’ - use residual vision – large print, contrasting colours

Question 39

How can you guide and describe?

Answer 39

- person with VI holds the back of your arm above elbow - walk side by side - verbal indications of steps (up or down) - change in surface (incline, decline, hole) - doors (push or pull open)