Good quality low vision assessments are vital to help children to make the best use of their vision. It is important, not just for learning, but for their overall wellbeing and independence too.
What is low vision?
Low vision is a term used in the UK for eyesight that cannot be fully corrected with spectacles and/or contact lenses, so that the adult or child still has a vision impairment. The World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests what low vision means in terms of how far down the eyesight test chart a child can read, but in the UK most services prefer to look at how someone is functioning. So, if as a direct result of an impairment to their vision, a child has difficulty carrying out everyday tasks such as reading, seeing facial expressions or moving around the home, we would describe them as having low vision.
