Supporting a blind or partially sighted young person cont.
by professionals in the health, social care, and education sectors. Some blind and partially sighted young people may also choose to describe themselves this way. Congenital eye conditions are conditions that a person is born with. They can range in meaning from a person gradually losing their sight or never experiencing full sight. Sight loss can also occur later in life through acquired eye conditions or accidents that damage a person’s vision. Other terms to describe partial sight and blindness include ‘low vision’, ‘reduced vision’, ‘no sight’, and ‘little sight’. (160) Misconceptions Before you support a blind or partially sighted young person, acknowledge and address any false assumptions you hold based on misinformation or a lack of knowledge and understanding. For example you may believe that: – A person with little or no sight can’t enjoy TV – most blind or partially sighted people do – Being in bright light can improve vision – this can be true for some people but for others it can cause increased blurriness, glare, and even pain – A child with vision impairment won’t be able to carry out everyday tasks – in reality most are taught to use aids and technology to develop independent living skills both safely and efficiently – All blind people can or should read braille – it’s estimated that around only 1% do. This is generally because many people with vision impairment are either still able to read adapted print materials or will use technology to help them do so (165)
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