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Treatment

Low vision and vision rehabilitation

Low vision is vision loss that glasses, medicine or surgery can’t fully fix. Vision rehabilitation helps you make the most of the sight you have, with the right tools, lighting and training.

Key points

Common signs
Trouble reading, seeing faces, cooking or getting around safely, even with your glasses on.
Who it helps
People with macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic eye disease or other eye conditions, at any age.
How it’s found
A low vision exam measures what you can see and tests tools for the tasks that matter to you.
Treatment
Magnifiers, better lighting, phone and computer settings, and training help you use the sight you still have.
A magnifier resting on the page of an open book, enlarging the print

Low vision is vision loss that can’t be fully fixed with glasses, contact lenses, medicine or surgery, and that makes everyday tasks hard. Reading the mail, cooking, recognizing faces, watching TV or getting around safely may all become a struggle.

Low vision is not the same as being blind. Most people with low vision still have useful sight. Vision rehabilitation, sometimes called low vision care, helps you make the most of the sight you have, so you can keep doing the things that matter to you.

Low vision can look different from person to person:

  • Central vision loss: a blurry, dark or empty spot in the middle of what you see, making reading and faces hard
  • Side vision loss: missing areas at the edges of what you see, which can make it easy to bump into things
  • Blurry or hazy vision all over
  • Patchy vision, with spots missing here and there
  • Trouble with glare, contrast or dim light, such as seeing steps, curbs or dark text on a gray page

Common causes include macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic eye disease, inherited retina diseases, stroke and eye injuries. Low vision care does not cure these conditions. It works alongside the treatment for them.

Low vision care can help anyone whose vision makes daily life hard, even with their best glasses on. It may be time to ask about it if you:

  • Have trouble reading print, labels or your phone, even with glasses
  • Find it hard to recognize faces
  • Have trouble seeing stove dials, pill bottles or money
  • Bump into things, trip on steps or feel unsafe getting around
  • Have given up hobbies, reading or driving because of your vision

It helps people of every age, including children, who may need support at school. You don’t need to wait until your vision is very poor. The earlier you start, the easier it often is to learn new ways of doing things.

Wondering if it’s right for you?

Ask us about low vision

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