SOME EYE DISEASES

Things which may help:

Good lighting, e.g. anglepoise lamp for close work. Colour contrast - light colour next to dark colour, black felt tip pen.

GLAUCOMA - caused by simple eye pressure

Effects:

Tunnel vision. May effect peripheral vision. Difficulty seeing things at sides or low down. Mobility may be main problem, especially in bright sunlight or dark. Difficult in adapting when going from light place into dark place or vice versa.

Things which may help:

Need to scan - move head more - to enable things to be seen especially crossing roads. Sunshield. Good lights at night. Use of cane. Mobility training.

GLAUCOMA - chronic

Steady progressive disease. Person may not realize he/she has it until outer vision has deteriorated a lot. Other signs: occasional, blurred vision; eye pain; halos round lights. Glaucoma can be hereditary - relatives should have eye tests.

Things which may help:

Drops often prevent further deterioration

GLAUCOMA - acute

Effects:

Sudden rise in eye pressure. Sharp pain. Immediate medical attention required.

Need to scan - move head more - to enable things to be seen especially crossing roads. Sunshield. Good lights at night. Use of cane. Mobility training.

USHER'S SYNDROME

Effects:

Deafness, plus retinitis pigmentosa. Often discovered by deaf people in their 20s.

HIGH MYOPIA

Effects:

Severe short-sightedness which cannot be corrected. Often exists with other eye problems.

NYSTAGMUS

Effects:

Inability to hold eyes still when looking at object. Hazy images as difficulty in focusing. Often with other eye diseases.

Things which may help:

Eyes may move less when looking in certain positions.

DETACHED RETINA

Effects:

Sharp pain, flashing lights as retina detaches. Urgent medical attention required. If nothing can be done, severe field losses result. May go along with other diseases, especially diabetes or be caused by injury.

OPTIC ATROPHY Effects: Degeneration of optic nerve. May be caused by pressure (glaucoma) surgery or by accident.

HEMANIOPIA

Effects:

Loss of part of vision field on same side of each eye. Either one side of field (causing problems with reading) or lower half of field (causing mobility difficulties). May be caused by stroke and stroke victim may not adapt to allowing for missing part of vision.

MOBILITY

When a person becomes blind, he loses the ability to move about freely without assistance and the extent to which movement is limited is related to the degree of residual vision, if any. Having lost Ills sight, the blind person has lost his confidence and, by accepting the help of a sighted person, he is now losing his independence. Because the blind person may be elderly, confused or disorientated, he may rely very heavily on his guide, even to the extent of being taken to the toilet. This leads to another loss - the loss of dignity. There are many aids to mobility and the one most widely used and misused is the sighted guide.

the blind person is, as usual, using the normal grip and the guide, as he draws near to the obstacle, puts his guiding arm behind his back. The blind person does not let go of his guide's arm. This indicates to the blind person that it is a narrow space. The blind person should now be walking in single file directly behind the guide. When the hazard is past, the guide simply brings his arm back to its former position.

Always try to remember to tell the person being guided exactly what hazard is being avoided.

SITTING DOWN When being assisted into a chair, the blind person is frequently seized by the shoulders and forced backwards. As he is pushed backwards, he begins to lose his balance and feels himself reeling into unknown space. In the correct procedure:

the blind person and the guide approach the chair. It does not matter from which direction the chair is approached, but the guide should try to have the blind person in a central position to the chair when it is reached. The guide puts his hand on the top of the chair-back and the blind person runs his hand down the guide's arm until it is resting on the back of the chair. While facing the seat, the blind person can now place his two hands on the chair and explore the shape of it. Having gone through this routine, he is now capable of sitting down unaided and without any fuss.

KERBS

When approaching a kerb, stop before stepping up or down it. Remember, many roads have broad rounded kerbs. Ensure that you approach them at their centre so that you are square on.

GETTING INTO A CAR

When seating a blind person in a car, let him hold the handle of the car door and allow him to seat himself in the car after telling him which way the seat is facing. Ensure that his arm is across his body before shutting the car door.

CROSSING THE ROAD

Should a member of the public offer to assist a blind person across the road, they should remember that they are offering assistance and not imposing their will on the blind person. If the blind person does not accept the offer of help, there is no reason why the member of the public should feel in any way slighted. They have done the right thing in offering help, but should appreciate that the blind person is free to make his own decision as to the extent of help required in any particular situation. He may be a very capable individual who wishes to maintain his independence.

REMEMBER - never let the blind person lose contact with your body - never push or pull a blind person - you are gait them - always mention when you are going to walk on a different surface, e.g. going from grass to concrete - ensure that the blind person is facing the same way as yourself before you start walking - say when you intend to start walking and when you are stopping - ensure that all your directions are clear and concise - everyone is an individual and needs to be treated as such - you may need to adapt your guiding technique according to the age and disability(ies) of the person you are guiding.

You may find you are giving a lot of verbal instructions when you first guide a blind person. However, as they become more confident in you and you, in turn, become more confident in your ability to guide, you will find that fewer verbal instructions are needed.

AVOID Light sources that cause glare and/or dazzle Glazed areas, especially doors. Where they exist, use a contrasting band to denote presence Obstructions wherever possible  especially in pedestrian area Rough surfaces and sharp edges in pedestrian areas  they may cause injury Half open doors/windows  they are hazardous to visually impaired people Fragile freestanding displays, especially near entrances

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