Definitions A person with low vision is one who has an impairment of visual function for whom full remediation is not possible by conventional spectacles, contact lenses or medical intervention and which causes restriction in their everyday life. This definition includes, but is not limited to those who are registered as Blind and partially sighted. A low vision service is a rehabilitative process, which provides a range of services for people with low vision to enable them to make maximum use of their eyesight to achieve maximum potential. The Findings Low vision services are unequally distributed throughout the country. The research showed that two out of every five service providers questioned do not offer any low vision services whatsoever.
Many people live at a significant distance from the nearest low vision service.
Given the transport and mobility problems encountered by people with serious sight problems, this means that many are excluded from services they need. There a re parts of the country where prevalence of low vision is high but where there are no services at all. Variability in accessibility is apparent, for example, the differing criteria used to determine eligibility for and referral to low vision services. Although it is widely recognised that registration as blind or partially sighted is not a comprehensive indicator of disability, this is still used by some services as the sole criterion for acceptance. Whereas in some areas there were numerous routes for referral or people could refer themselves, in many areas, there was only one referral route or criterion.