Rainey, L., Elsman, E. B. M., van Nispen, R. M. A., van Leeuwen, L. M., & van Rens, G.
H. M. B. (2016). Comprehending the impact of low vision on the lives of children and
adolescents: a qualitative approach. Quality of Life Research, 25(10), 2633-2643. Low Vision and Blindness
This article develops a model that explains how life is like for children and
adolescents with low vision. To develop the model, the authors used three parties including
low vision professionals, children and adolescents affected, and parents of the affected
children and adults. Qualitative methods such as focus groups, face to face, and online means
were used to gather information concerning the impacts of visual impairment on the lives of
children and adolescents. Low vision affects the physical, social, and psychosocial aspects of
children and adolescents’ lives.
At the age of 0-2, this article observed that children were not affected by low vision.
Between 3 and 6 years, however, the low vision was found to affect children’s mobility and
the ability to play. Low vision children aged 7-12 were not able to communicate and interact
socially compared with other children. The children were heavily dependent on others. For
adolescents between the age of 13 and 17, low vision leads to exhaustion because they are
forced to work extra hard to keep up with their sighted peers.
Hamade, N., Hodge, W. G., Rakibuz-Zaman, M., & Malvankar-Mehta, M. S. (2016).
The effects of low-vision rehabilitation on reading speed and depression in age related
macular degeneration: a meta-analysis. PloS one, 11(7).
This article aims to evaluate how low vision affects the reading speed and rate of
depression among patients aged 55 and above who have AMD. The individuals used were
from regions such as U.S., Italy, China, Sweden, Australia, and Canada. This article observes
that eccentric vision helps improve functional performance for patients with AMD. Eccentric vision does this by improving reading speed and depression. This article used computer
databases collected between the years 2000 and 2015.
The low rehabilitation strategies involved in this article include microscopes teaching
program, eccentric viewing training, and microperimetry feedback. According to this article,
AMD affects the ability to read English fast among the elderly and also increases the rate of
depression. This article observed that eccentric viewing training improves the reading speed
among the elderly AMD patients. This article found that although the patients who
underwent the rehabilitation program could read English publications, they remained with
either slightly lower or the same level of depression they had before the study.
Legge, G. E., & Chung, S. T. (2016). Low vision and plasticity: Implications for
rehabilitation. Annual review of vision science, 2, 321-343.
This article investigates the implications of plasticity for rehabilitation in low vision.
Rehabilitation helps individuals with impaired vision function normally. The article covers
areas such as visual system levels at which plasticity occurs, whether plastic changes are
spontaneous, and the impact of age and visual experience on plasticity. The normal vision
function is regained after successful cataract surgery. However, functional improvements
may not work for patients with aging visual system that is not capable of adapting with the
adult-onset low vision.

According to this article, low vision in adults affects the ability to recognize items,
control eye movement, or read. After the onset of low vision, however, this article observes
that the visual functions in adults can improve. The long-term low vision that begins in
childhood affects the normal yielding of adult vision. The retinotopic organization of the
early visual cortex is the only solution for patients with long-term low vision. The organization of the visual cortex remains stable when the vision has matured to adult levels as
poised by this article.
Ishtiaq, R., Chaudhary, M. H., Rana, M. A., & Jamil, A. R. (2016). Psychosocial
implications of blindness and low vision in students of a school for children with
blindness. Pakistan journal of medical sciences, 32(2), 431.
This article aims to investigate the psychosocial implications of blindness and low
vision in students. The article carried out a cross-sectional descriptive study in Higher
Secondary School for the blind. A total of 40 students were used as respondents in this
article. This article found that 22 students were depressed due to blindness and low vision. It
also observed that blindness and low vision affected the ability of 20 students to make new
friends and only 21 were satisfied by the level of care offered by their families.
According to this article, an illness that leads to blindness and low vision affects the
lifestyle and habits of students. This is because it causes movement restrictions and also
prevents individuals from exercising full control over themselves and their surroundings. The
sighted students always avoid any reference involving vision when in a conversation with
blind students. The blind students, as a result, were found to feel worthless and guilty. This
article shows that blind students suffer rejection and isolation and this contributes to
depression, anxiety, and repudiation.
Shah, P., Schwartz, S. G., Gartner, S., Scott, I. U., & Flynn Jr, H. W. (2018). Low vision
services: a practical guide for the clinician. Therapeutic advances in ophthalmology, 10,
2515841418776264.
Low vision is noted by this article to be one that cannot be corrected by either means
of refraction, surgery, or medical treatment. In the United States, the risk factors of the condition include glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy. Low
vision is a common phenomenon among the elderly but may also be found in individuals of
all ages. It affects the quality of life and causes depression and emotional distress. Low vision
services provide optical aids, mobility training, and also offer psychosocial support to
patients.
This article observes that patients of low vision have difficulty performing daily
activities such as reading, recognizing faces, and driving. Low vision patients have problems
reading small prints, newspapers, and filling lottery forms. The patients also had difficulties
walking, climbing stairs, and exercise. Visual impairment was found to decrease the ability of
individuals to see road signs or cars and this increases the risk of accidents. According to this
article, the low vision has a positive correlation with emotional distress and is associated with
difficulties identifying faces or facial expressions.

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