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Visual Impairment and Blindness
Eye Conditions Macular Degeneration- Age related Macular degeneration (AMD) is
a retinal degenerate disease that causes a progressive loss of central vision. Most common cause of vision loss of people over the age of 55.
Rentisis Pigmentosa- Photo receptor cells gradually die. An inherited disease. Appears in childhood and adolescence.
Stargardt Disease- Juvenile form of Macular Degeneration. Death of photoreceptor cells in the central portion of the retina called the macular.
Usher Syndrome- an inherited condition characterized by hearing impairment and progressive vision loss. Balance is sometimes also affected.
Blindness
Some or no vision at all. Some legally blind people can still see. Blindness can be inherited or genetic. Blindness can also occur from an accident. Certain diseases can also lead to blindness Vision tests can be given to an infant to check
for visual impariment or blindness.
Learning
An infant who is blind can still develop normally.
There are learning programs designed for children with visual impairments where they make the most of the other 4 senses.
Children will learn to read Braille
Different devices can be used to read out loud what the child needs to study. i.e. Dynovox, Kurzweil
Kurzweil Educational Systems. Scans text documents onto a computer where the computer will read out loud everything that is on the page.
Sight and therapy dogs can be assigned.
There are schools for the blind.
Schooling for blind children go from ages 3-21 but some can go further
The Seeing Eye
The oldest existing eye dog school in the world.
Classes are offered to the blind or visually impaired to learn how to travel with a Seeing Eye dog.
Goal: to increase the independence and dignity of people who are blind. To educate the public about the use of guide dogs.
Located in Morristown NJ
Treatments
Eye exams are the best way to detect a visual impairment.
Different treatments and clinical trials are going on for all types of visual impairments.
Antibiotics or corrective glasses can be used.
Surgeries are available as well.
Occupational Therapy, Vision aids, and Orientation and Mobility training.
Cures
There are many different surgeries to help with different visual impairments.
Full sight may not come back but partial sight.
Special glasses and contact lenses can sometimes be a big help.
Recent studies have linked stem cell contacts to reversing blindness.
Some damage is so great it can never
be reversed.
Information sources
http://www.blindness.org/
http://www.mychildwithoutlimits.org/?page=treatment-for-vision-loss
http://www.kurzweiltech.com/kesi.html
http://www.seeingeye.org/?gclid=CL_fj8u--KsCFYTe4AodWxdLkQ
Pictures-
http://www.overpill.com/2009/12/24/stem-cell-therapy-cures-mans-blindness/
http://writenow.wordpress.com/2007/09/27/guide-horse/
http://www.funfactory.spruz.com/pt/Earth-Keeper-Archangel-Metatron---Animal-Consciousness-The-Divinity-of-Cats--Dogs---through-James-Tyberonn/blog.htm