Low vision is not total blindness. People with low vision have potentially useful vision. Over 4 million Americans have low vision. Sixty-eight percent of these people are over the age of 65. Most people with low vision can become more visually independent if they make a commitment to learn how to use low vision aids and devices, as well as learn new methods to perform everyday tasks.
Low vision can be due to heredity, an injury, disease, or aging.
Some of the most common causes of low vision are macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, optic atrophy, retinitis pigmentosa, retinal detachment, and stroke. Regardless of the cause of vision loss, SCCO's Low Vision Services offer patients options that will enable them to use their vision to its fullest potential. Many patients are referred to the College's Low Vision Services by their optometrist, ophthalmologist, or other medical doctor. Area hospitals, Lions Clubs, the Braille Institute, and the California State Department of Rehabilitation also refer patients. The low vision clinical facilities obtain ocular health information from the referring doctor.