If your vision is such that it can’t be corrected with glasses or contact lenses, this is known as low vision or sight loss. Low vision can have a big impact on your life, preventing you from doing the things you love to do, but there are things we can do to help.

Low vision explained

Low vision affects everyone differently. For some, it may be that glasses aren’t quite strong enough so you need a magnifier for reading. For others, conditions such as macular degeneration could be affecting your central vision, leaving it blurry or fuzzy. Or maybe you have an eye injury that affects your vision.

Cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy are other common causes of sight loss, and around 2 million people in the UK are living with sight loss. We may not be able to bring back your sight, but there are things you can do to give your vision a helping hand. It can be hard to accept that you need help, but using low-vision aids can give you more independence, enabling you to once again do things that you’ve been finding difficult.

The assessment

A low vision assessment (LVA) is separate from a standard eye examination. If we determine you have low vision during your eye exam, we can book you in for an LVA when it is convenient for you. Even if you’ve had an eye exam elsewhere recently, we can arrange an LVA for you.

The first thing we do in an LVA is to talk to you. We discuss your lifestyle and hobbies, the things that you’ve been finding difficult, and what changes you can make at home to make things easier for you. This could be raised bumps on buttons and controls, new devices that have settings designed for people with low vision, and lighting changes that can help.

Next, we will show you some low-vision aids that we stock and explain how to use them to make life easier for you. We’ll help you figure out how you can use magnifiers to do the things you want to do. We have a range of magnifier types, from long-distance magnifiers for TV to pocket magnifiers that you can carry around with you. Hand-held and stand magnifiers are also available, which can be helpful around the home or even at work.

Book your LVA

We want to help you get the most out of your vision, even if it isn’t what it once was. Contact us to book an assessment so you can get the help you need to carry on doing the things you love.