February is Macular Degeneration & Low Vision Awareness month

Low vision looks different for everyone — literally. These are four examples of what blindness can look like. Blindness is a spectrum, it is rarely absolute, and understanding the low vision and what causes it is important. Low vision is a condition that can be caused by eye disease, in which visual acuity is 20/70 or poorer in the better-seeing eye and cannot be corrected or improved with regular eyeglasses, surgery, or medical intervention. Most surveys and studies indicate that the majority of people in the United States with vision loss are adults who are not totally blind; instead, they have low vision. Being blind doesn’t mean living with the “lights off.” The majority of people who are blind perceive light and color, while those with different visual impairments have varying degrees of usable vision. It’s always important to recognize the perspective of others, and in our community, that’s true in more ways than one!