Vision Disability: Types and Information | Publications
Summary: This page is a comprehensive resource for understanding vision disabilities, offering detailed explanations of various types including normal vision, moderate to severe visual impairments, and legal blindness classifications. It provides crucial statistics on the global impact of vision impairments, highlighting that over 2.2 billion people suffer from vision issues, with a significant portion in low to middle-income countries. The page also explores the economic implications, noting that unaddressed vision impairments lead to annual productivity losses of approximately USD 410.7 billion, underscoring the importance of eye care accessibility and treatment.
Searching the Database: The data table below lists items that may have been updated or revised, but the table defaults to sorting by descending publication date; you can search and sort by clicking column headers (JavaScript required). Items in this category are also distributed via our Vision Disability: Types and Information RSS feed.
| Title and Description | Ed | Publish Revised |
|---|---|---|
| Shape Changing Haptic Navigation Interface For Vision Impairment A shape-changing navigation device called Shape that helps people with visual impairment navigate through haptic perception. | ✓ ✓ | 10 Dec 2024 26 Sep 2025 |
| Can Sound Illusions Enchant Visually Impaired Listeners? Sound illusions research reveals why blind audiences miss magical experiences, exploring brain differences in processing visual versus auditory information. | ✓ ✓ | 4 Oct 2024 26 Sep 2025 |
| Blinking: Why Do Humans Blink So Often? Research finds blinking plays a pivotal role in processing visual information thus adding to a growing body of evidence revising conventional views of vision. | ✓ | 15 Apr 2024 4 Oct 2024 |
| Life After Death: Reviving Light-Sensing Cells in Donor Eyes Scientists revive light-sensing neuron cells in organ donor eyes and restore communication between them as part of a series of discoveries that stand to transform brain and vision research. | 16 May 2022 | |
| Understanding Legal Blindness: Definitions & Criteria Legal blindness means 20/200 vision or less with correction, or a visual field under 20 degrees. Most legally blind people retain some useful vision. | ✓ ✓ | 5 Oct 2019 9 Oct 2025 |
| Gene Responsible for Eye Degeneration and Blindness Discovered UNIGE researchers have identified the gene responsible for a recessive genetic disorder that causes degeneration of the eye and blindness. | 13 Aug 2018 21 Sep 2023 | |
| Unexpected Finding May Deter Diabetic Retinopathy Eye Disease Study is first to reveal a particular type of lipid, or fat, thought to only exist in the skin, now lives in your eye and might play a major role in deterring the eye disease. | 6 Apr 2018 | |
| International Clinical Trial Study of AMD Progression Clinical study led by the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health, to learn more about the natural history of early age-related macular degeneration (AMD). | 26 Feb 2018 | |
| People Who Experience Dry Eye Soon to Have Drug-Free Solution A new device that stimulates nerves in the nose offers the first natural solution to dry eye, a common eye condition. | 15 Nov 2017 | |
| Do Blind People Express Emotions the Same Way as Sighted People Research on facial expression of emotions in blind people in an attempt to answer an oft-debated question: are these expressions innate or acquired. | 6 Jul 2017 | |
| Visually-Impaired Children Experience Egg Hunt with Eggs That Beep ATF creates beeping eggs so vision impaired children can experience an Easter egg hunt. | 15 Apr 2017 | |
| US Prevalence of Blindness and Visual Impairment Expected to Increase Aging U.S. Baby Boomer population will contribute to expected doubling of prevalence of visual impairment and blindness in the next 35 years. | 27 May 2016 | |
| Clearly Campaign - Helping the World to See Poor vision is the largest unaddressed disability in the world, despite advancements across healthcare, digital and technology. | 10 Apr 2016 11 Jun 2016 | |
| Stem Cell Advances Target Vision Loss and Blindness Stem cell research offers new hope for treating vision loss, from cornea repair to retinal regeneration for age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. | ✓ ✓ | 5 Oct 2015 10 Oct 2025 |
| Understanding Heterochromia: Causes and Types Explained Comprehensive insights into heterochromia: types, causes, diagnosis, and implications for ocular health. | ✓ ✓ | 29 Sep 2015 1 Apr 2025 |
| Eye Parasites: How to Recognize Symptoms Information regarding Demodex parasites, small mites found at the roots of eyelashes that can cause a range of eye conditions. | 25 May 2015 18 Aug 2021 | |
| Wet Macular Degeneration: Symptoms & Treatment Options Discover how wet macular degeneration affects central vision, its risk factors, diagnostic methods, and available treatment options for vision preservation. | ✓ ✓ | 21 May 2015 25 Jan 2026 |
| Guide to Microphthalmia, Anophthalmia and Coloboma Informative summary of microphthalmia, anophthalmia and coloboma: causes, diagnosis, treatment, outcomes for congenital eye conditions. | ✓ ✓ | 26 Mar 2015 10 Oct 2025 |
| Brain Adaption to Restoration of Eyesight Rewiring of senses that occurs in brains of long term blind means that visual restoration may never be complete. | 19 Jan 2015 | |
| Blind and Visually Impaired Simulations Has Negative Effects Using simulation has negative effects on perception of the visually impaired. | 18 Jan 2015 | |
| Macular Dystrophy: Types, Causes, Treatments Information regarding Macular dystrophy, a form of rare genetic eye disorder that causes loss of vision. | 17 Nov 2014 15 Oct 2021 | |
| Reading Glasses May Soon be a Thing of the Past Implantable eye devices that improve vision up close could soon be a viable alternative for aging eyes. | 18 Oct 2014 15 Mar 2018 | |
| Buying Contact Lenses Without Prescription Illegal FDA classifies contact lenses as medical devices and purchasing them, even decorative colored lens, without a prescription is illegal. | 8 Oct 2014 12 Dec 2020 | |
| Choroideremia: Information and Affect on Vision Choroideremia is a rare and inherited disorder that causes progressive loss of vision due to degeneration of the choroid and retina. | 3 Oct 2014 8 May 2021 | |
| My Eyesight Seems Worse as I Age - Should I See a Doctor American Academy of Ophthalmology explains common eye symptoms for senior adults in support of healthy aging month. | ✓ ✓ | 11 Sep 2014 13 Mar 2025 |
| Eye Floaters and Flashes of Light - Causes and Risks Eye floaters and flashes of light can signal retinal tears or detachment, with research showing 1 in 7 patients with these symptoms has a serious retinal issue. | ✓ ✓ | 16 Jul 2014 21 Feb 2026 |
| Retinitis Pigmentosa: Inherited Eye Diseases Information regarding Retinitis Pigmentosa a group of inherited diseases that cause retinal degeneration in the eyes that causes gradual decline in vision. | 16 Jul 2014 30 Aug 2021 | |
| Drug Restores Vision to Patients with Leber Congenital Amaurosis New oral medication showing significant progress by improving visual function of blind patients with Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA). | 14 Jul 2014 24 Nov 2021 | |
| Cause of Eye Mobility Disorder Revealed Researchers worked on a developmental study to find the point at which normal development of eye muscle innervations departs from the mutants. | 19 Apr 2014 | |
| Driving with Hemianopia: Failure to Detect Pedestrians Information and reseach results regarding the affect of hemianopia on driving ability and your field of vision. | 14 Mar 2014 2 Mar 2024 | |
| Hope for People Blinded by Incurable Eye Disorders New device offers hope to people blinded due to incurable eye disorders - retinal implant system research provides positive results for people with genetic eye disease. | 18 Nov 2013 15 Mar 2018 | |
| New Telescopic Contact Lenses Could Improve Sight for Macular Degeneration Patients New slim telescopic contact lens can switch between normal and magnified vision could offer AMD patients an unobtrusive way to enhance their vision. | 27 Jun 2013 18 Apr 2014 | |
| Effective Gene Therapy to Restore Eyesight Researchers have developed a method for inserting genes into eye cells that could help restore sight to patients with blinding diseases like retinitis pigmentosa and macular degeneration. | 12 Jun 2013 28 Jan 2022 | |
| Children and Vision Disability Issues Information regarding various eye sight problems a child may develop over time or from birth. | 12 Mar 2013 6 Dec 2021 | |
| Learning to Live with Vision Loss as We Age Information pertaining to aging and loss of vision including cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. | 22 Feb 2013 10 Feb 2024 | |
| Alternative Vision for Blind Uses Sound Instead of Eyesight Blind using photographic and sound equipment can describe objects and identify letters and words enabling blind to decode visual information within sounds and perceive complex images of people words and objects. | 7 Nov 2012 5 Feb 2015 | |
| Learning a New Sense by Helping Blind See with Their Fingers Devices that translate video to mechanical stimulation based on active sensing common to vision and touch may provide intuitive sensory aid for the blind. | 5 Nov 2012 4 Feb 2020 | |
| Dry Eyes? Have Your Optometrist Check for Eyelid Sensitivity Optometrist test called esthesiometry can measure the sensitivity of your eyelid margins sensitivity to touch. | 7 Oct 2012 19 Jul 2021 | |
| Common and Age-Related Vision Problems Information regarding common vision issues including refractive errors, nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism and presbyopia. | 27 Sep 2012 17 Jul 2021 | |
| What to Expect at an Eye Examination Information regarding getting your eyes checked by an ophthalmologist, or optometrist, includes types of eye exam tests performed. | ✓ ✓ | 24 Sep 2012 13 Mar 2025 |
| Blindsight Used in Everyday Life Scenarios Finding indicates blindsight can be used in everyday life of patients with hemianopia by cerebrovascular disorder and possibility patients with visual impairment can recover hidden visual function by rehabilitation. | 3 Jul 2012 7 Mar 2022 | |
| Dry Eye Sufferers May Find Relief with Caffeine Caffeine intake can significantly increase the ability to produce tears and could improve treatment of dry eye syndrome. | 18 Apr 2012 | |
| Inflammasome IL-18 Controls AMD Development Trinity researchers discover how inflammasome IL-18 regulates age-related macular degeneration, revealing new therapeutic potential for preventing vision loss. | ✓ ✓ | 16 Apr 2012 25 Jan 2026 |
| Regular Eye Exams Encouraged for Adults Over 50 Recommendation that all adults over age 50 schedule an eye examination because the incidence of Age-Related Macular Degeneration and other vision problems is increasing. | 12 Mar 2012 7 Oct 2021 | |
| Glasses-Off Technology May Eliminate Need for Reading Glasses Glasses-Off technology offers a solution to eliminate need for reading glasses, improving near-vision and offering a better quality of life for seniors. | ✓ ✓ | 12 Mar 2012 6 Apr 2025 |
| Halos and Starbursts After LASIK Eye Surgery Most LASIK complications are short-term and cause only mild discomfort and the results of your laser eye surgery can provide freedom from glasses and contacts for years. | 30 Jan 2012 29 Mar 2024 | |
| Correcting Keratoconus in Down Syndrome Patients Non-invasive Holcomb C3-R procedure stabilizes vision for those seeking a non-surgical solution for degenerative eye disease including people with Down syndrome afflicted with Keratoconus. | 25 Jul 2011 1 Feb 2022 | |
| Detecting Lazy Eye (Amblyopia) in Children A simple screening exam with a handheld scanning device may enable pediatricians to identify lazy eye in children as young as two years of age. | ✓ | 8 Jul 2011 15 Oct 2024 |
| Progress to Reverse Blindness Reported May lead to therapies to reverse blindness caused by common retinal diseases such as macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa. | 15 Jun 2011 | |
| Dry Eye Disease: Cellular Cause New research suggests natural killer cells promote inflammatory responses in dry eyes at both the ocular surface and the eye-draining lymph nodes. | 1 Jun 2011 1 Apr 2023 | |
| Blind People Possess the Ability to Echolocate Some blind people have the ability to utter clicks and to use echolocation, the returning echoes from those clicks, to sense their surroundings. | ✓ | 26 May 2011 6 Oct 2024 |
| CD59 Gene Therapy Shows Promise for Macular Degeneration CD59 gene therapy approach reduces uncontrolled blood vessel growth and cell death in age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in seniors. | ✓ ✓ | 30 Apr 2011 25 Jan 2026 |
| Dry Eye Can be Caused by Drop in Temperature Temperatures less than 30 degrees Celsius on the eye and eyelid could be the cause for the onset or worsening of the disorder. | 3 Mar 2011 19 May 2022 | |
| Eye Surgeon Restores Vision with Iris Implant Procedure was a success with vision being transformed from legal blindness to being able to drive without glasses. | 18 Feb 2011 | |
| Albinism: Health, Vision and General Information Information regarding Albinism, a congenital disorder characterized by complete or partial absence of pigment in skin, hair and eyes due to absence or defect of tyrosinase, a copper-containing enzyme involved in production of melanin. | 17 Feb 2011 13 Jun 2021 | |
| Geographic Atrophy: Molecular Cause & Treatment Hope Researchers identified the molecular mechanism behind geographic atrophy, the leading cause of untreatable blindness, and developed two promising preventive therapies. | ✓ ✓ | 6 Feb 2011 25 Jan 2026 |
| Optometry and Vision Development Latest Research Features the latest in eye and vision care research that was presented at the annual meeting. | 28 Dec 2010 | |
| Researchers Achieve Extensive Regeneration in Nerve Connecting Eye to Brain Findings bring scientists closer to restoring vision loss due to optic nerve damage. | 3 Dec 2010 | |
| Multifocal Contact Lenses May Reduce Night Driving Vision Wearing multifocal contact lenses resulted in significantly slower driving speeds at night. | 4 Nov 2010 | |
| Vision Correction Options for Seniors From age 40 our eyes gradually lose ability to focus on close-up objects a condition called presbyopia. | 19 Oct 2010 | |
| Lazy Eye: Is Photoscreening the Best Way to Catch Amblyopia Photoscreening for lazy eye (Amblyopia) was used as earlier studies indicated problems with using eye charts to screen children younger than age 3 and children with disabilities. | ✓ | 2 Oct 2010 15 Oct 2024 |
| Lazy Eye (Amblyopia): Causes and Treatment Information on Amblyopia, or lazy eye, an eye condition noted by reduced vision not correctable by glasses or contact lenses. | ✓ | 14 Sep 2010 15 Oct 2024 |
| Discovery of Gene May Provide Treatment for Nearsightedness Study links myopia to RASGRF1 gene, offering new hope for gene therapies to address vision loss, especially in high-risk or aging populations. | ✓ ✓ | 12 Sep 2010 2 Jun 2025 |
| Protecting Blind Pedestrians from Silent Cars Protecting blind pedestrians and others from the danger posed by silent vehicle technology. | 19 May 2010 | |
| Optic Neuritis: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment The main symptom of optic neuritis is loss of vision, something that occurs within one or two days and varies from a small area of blurring to complete blindness. | 14 Apr 2010 28 Jan 2023 | |
| Retinopathy of Prematurity - Early Treatment Benefits Some Children Early treatment associated with benefits for some children with Retinopathy of prematurity. | 13 Apr 2010 | |
| Night Blindness and Calcium Deficiency: Causes and Solutions Discover how calcium impacts night blindness, its causes, symptoms, and management strategies to improve vision health for seniors and those with disabilities. | ✓ ✓ | 1 Apr 2010 6 Apr 2025 |
| Stevie Wonder Joins Junior Blind of America's Board of Directors Commitment to improving the lives of those with disabilities, wonder joins board of nonprofit dedicated to helping blind and disabled. | 3 Mar 2010 | |
| New Insights into Inherited Eye Retinal Disease Newly recognized class of disease known as ciliopathies has caught the attention of the medical community. | 17 Jan 2010 | |
| Quit Smoking and Save Your Vision Determines whether age influences the effects of smoking on age-related macular degeneration (AMD) risk. | 31 Dec 2009 | |
| Children with Congenital Blindness See with Single Shot of Gene Therapy Gene therapy improves vision in children and adults with Lebers congenital amaurosis (LCA). | 25 Oct 2009 | |
| Research Center to Improve Quality of Life for Blind and Visually Impaired Worlds largest ocular research center to improve quality of life for blind and visually impaired. | 7 Oct 2009 4 Jul 2010 | |
| Eye Stye: Cures and Causes of Styes on the Eyelid Information regarding the causes of an internal or external eye stye on the eyelid, including treatment methods on how to get rid of a stye. | 7 Jul 2009 3 Aug 2023 | |
| Glassy Eyes: Causes, Treatment, Prevention Glassy eyes can be defined as a fixed staring and wide eyed appearance with the eyes appearing shiny, glazed over, or out of focus. | 6 Jul 2009 15 Apr 2024 | |
| Louis Braille: Historical Perspectives The history of Louis Braille, who became blind at the age of three and wanted to read, so invented Braille for the visually impaired. | ✓ | 24 Jun 2009 7 Jan 2025 |
| Is Being Visually Impaired the Same as Legally Blind Legally blind means that your vision is 5% and less or that your visual impairments are so severe that the percentage of actual vision also fits in this category. | 25 May 2009 24 Apr 2024 | |
| Facts about Blindness Things Americans should know about blindness that will make us a stronger society. | 24 May 2009 4 Jul 2010 | |
| New Method Identifies Preterm Infants at Risk of Eye Disease Weekly weight development might replace the need for considerably more expensive ophthalmological examinations. | 7 Apr 2009 |
Note: Disabled World compiles disability-related publications as a resource. Inclusion does not imply endorsement by Disabled-World.com. To submit disability-related articles and peer-reviewed manuscripts and papers, ensure submissions comply with our guidelines. For questions, please contact us.
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