Page 10 - Envision-01-2022
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Low Vision Care:
A WORLDof
POSSIBILITIES
Cover Story
By Shirley Ha, HBSc., OD, FCOVD
isor-like glasses that look like they emerged
from Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Voice-activated devices that convey visual
information audibly, in real-time and
Voffline. A gesture-based screen reader that
allows users to access a computer using spoken
descriptions or keyboard strokes.
These and many other low vision assistive devices
are transforming the lives of people with blindness
or significant vision challenges.
An estimated two million Canadian adults (5.7
per cent of the population) report having a visual
impairment associated with a wide variety of eye
conditions, including aging. Many people with
low vision (BCVA < 20/70 or fields < 20 degrees)
don’t know where to turn or what to do about their
residual vision. And one of the greatest frustrations
for low vision patients — who include even those
8 / JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2022 / www.ENVISIONMAGAZINE.ca /
