Developing a vision disorder is a challenge, and many people are already experiencing the same. A good vision is a precious asset that should not be taken for granted. So, having a visual defect that makes one unable to see properly breeds a high level of discomfort.
Vision disorder can either be temporary or permanent. Some can be corrected, while others will require surgery. Some are congenital, such as optic nerve hypoplasia, while others are not.
Several factors, ranging from diseases to accidents, can cause a person to suffer from vision disorder. These disorders can cause the patient to experience medical conditions such as depression, anxiety, and feelings of helplessness.
Regardless of what causes the disorder, one thing is sure – that’s the fact that people with vision disorders need empowerment. It’s challenging to live with vision disorders, and it becomes more challenging when patients with such conditions are not getting as much help and support as they need.
Listed below are ways to empower people with vision disorders:
- Offer Low Vision Aids
Low vision aids are optical materials that help people see better and perform activities that need visual participation. Examples of such materials are reading magnifiers, text to speech online tools, and telescopes. To know the most effective low vision aids, you need to visit an optician for counsel. Before recommending an aid, the optician begins by conducting a test that reveals the peculiarity of the condition and the required kind of aid. With the recommended visual aids, people with vision disorders can see better.
- Provide A Helping Hand
People with vision disorders usually need adjustments to their environment to accommodate their condition. Making these adjustments will require they get some help. Offering them a helping hand will go a long way to performing tasks and activities more efficiently and reduce the risk of missing their way around, falling, or hurting. If you live with people with vision disorders, you can help them by lightening up their environment so that it’s brighter and makes it easier for them to see. You can also help them keep away unnecessary things around their space so that they can move around freely.
- Accompany Them To Places
Accompanying a person with vision disorder to get things helps reduce the effort they’ll need to expend to figure out their way. More so, getting such a company lifts their spirits and lights them up. It’ll free them from feeling helpless. It will also protect them from any form of disability harassment they could face due to their visual impediment.
- Give Them Adequate Information About Their Environment
People with vision disorders may not easily adapt to changes in their environment, especially without prior notice. Knowing all that’s around them will help them in navigating their environment. If you live around such people, let them know what they have around them and the position of things. If there’s a need to reposition these items, endeavor to inform them beforehand. Don’t relocate objects without informing a person with vision disorder. Let them know what you’re relocating and where you’re relocating it.
- Leverage Audio Devices
People with vision disorders often rely more on sound for navigation. They depend on their auditory organs to pick information from their surroundings, and they use the feedback they get to navigate. Visually impaired people are assisted by delivering information in an auditory format. Haptic technological devices can help them communicate better by producing vibrations that help to communicate messages. Also, they can be provided with haptic maps, which they can touch and use to figure their way around various locations.
- Create Support Community
People with vision disorders can benefit so much from support groups and communities. These support systems can be instituted to provide visually impaired individuals with the information, tools, and resources they need to navigate through life more effectively. Besides providing support and resources, support communities offer inspiration and companionship to help people with vision disorders feel loved, encouraged, and motivated.
- Educate Society On How To Be Of Help
Mass education will help create a society that accommodates and allows people with vision disorders. As people get to know how they can help visually impaired persons, they can be more willing to help and offer relevant support to those when they need it.
Conclusion
Visually-challenged individuals need to be empowered to navigate their environment and live better. Through the ways listed above, you can help people with vision disorders live more comfortably and do things that an ordinary person does. Their condition is already a challenge for them, so let us help in lessening the burden by extending our helping hands.
