Visual impairment

Visual impairment is reduced vision that ordinary glasses or contact lenses cannot fully correct. It ranges from mild limitation to blindness and can affect daily activities.

Visual acuity: The ability to distinguish fine detail, commonly measured by reading standardized charts at a fixed distance. Reduced acuity is one major form of visual impairment, distinct from losing peripheral vision.
Retina: The light-sensitive tissue lining the back of the eye that converts light into neural signals. Retinal damage can reduce central detail, peripheral awareness, or both.
Low-vision rehabilitation: Clinical and practical services that help people use remaining vision and adapt to vision loss. It combines training, devices, and environmental changes to support daily tasks.
Age-related macular degeneration: A progressive disease of the macula that can impair central vision in older adults. It is a leading cause of central vision loss and often leaves peripheral sight intact.
Web accessibility: The practice of making websites and digital services usable by people with disabilities. Accessible structure and controls help people with impaired vision navigate online information.
Visual field: The area visible while the eyes remain fixed in one direction. Field loss can impair navigation even when central detail remains sharp.
Optic nerve: The bundle of nerve fibers that carries visual information from the retina to the brain. Damage can disrupt vision even when the eye's optical structures are clear.
Assistive technology: Devices and software designed to improve access, communication, mobility, or everyday functioning. Magnification and screen-reading tools can make information accessible through different sensory routes.
Retinitis pigmentosa: A group of inherited retinal disorders that progressively damage photoreceptor cells. Night blindness and narrowing visual fields often precede substantial central loss.
Mobility disability: A limitation in moving or using the body that can affect daily activities and participation. Visual impairment may restrict independent travel even without affecting physical movement.

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