The term blindness implies total or
partial loss of vision involving both eyes. The exact
level of vision defined as blindness, however,
varies in different countries because of differing
legal or social requirements. In the United States,
blindness is defined as unimprovable vision of
20/200 (6/60) or worse. This means that an
individual is generally considered blind who, even
with the use of ordinary eyeglasses, can see no
better at 20 ft (6 m) than a person with normal
vision can see at 200 ft (60 m). On the other hand,
the World Health Organization (WHO) Program
Advisory Group on the Prevention of Blindness
lists the vision level suggested as blindness as a
visual acuity of less than 10/200 (3/60), which is
twice as low as the U.S. definition. The WHO
level of visual acuity is also described as the
inability to count fingers in daylight at a distance of
10 ft (3 m), because in many regions a great
number of people cannot receive formal eye
examinations but may be tested by unspecialized
personnel. From data available in the mid-1980s,
the number of persons worldwide who have a
visual acuity of less than 10/200 is estimated as 28
million. This level of handicap precludes an
individual from functioning effectively in the
community without special assistance and
rehabilitation (see BLIND, EDUCATION OF
THE). Were the definition of blindness instead
taken as 20/200, as is done in a number of
industrialized countries besides the United States,
t...
Optometrists have accepted vision therapy, which is a medical treatment for optical muscle disabilities, as a feasible treatment used for eye related problems; claiming the treatment can strengthen vision and give the patient the opportunity to understand visuals quicker and clearer (Press). Vision therapy originated in the 1950s and over the past 25 years, has gained popularity, mainly because of new technological innovations in the field of treatment. Generally, vision therapy is prescribed as a measure mainly for people between the ages of 3 and 18. With the results from a comprehensive series of eye tests, the optometrist can work with the patient using special instruments—prisms, filters, occluders, and eye lenses—and strengthen the eye muscles, thus improving sight. According to optometrists in favor of vision therapy, these methods of treatment using these instruments function as safer routes to repair eye disabilities. Although vision therapy can yield favorable results, the practice as a treatment for innate eye disabilities has been in hot debate lately; as it can exceed $8000 and insurance companies do not cover the treatment. For decades, insurance companies have refused to accept vision therapy as a legitimate method for repairing eyesight (Boink). Concomitant with lack of insurance, the cost for a full treatment can exceed $8000, and doctors cannot guarantee a successful outcome. Recently, parents of children with eye related disabilities, such as amblyopia (lazy eye) and strabismus (cross-eye), and doctors have attempted to cooperate with public schools to allow families access to school-funded doctors to practice vision therapy. With a tight budget, most schools cannot afford to supply vision therapy, and a...
Merck had developed an antibiotic, Ivermectin that was used to treat parasites in animals. Dr. William C. Campbell, a Merck senior researcher, found evidence that the same drug might be effective against the parasitic worm that causes river blindness. After much consideration, Merck decided to research Ivermectin’s effectiveness in preventing river blindness. That research, including human clinical trials, showed that the drug indeed was effective with no side effects. After searching for an organization that would pay for the distribution of the human version of the drug, called Mectizan, without success, Merck decided to give the drug itself, at no cost, to everyone who needed it and set up its own committee to oversee distribution. In the little more than a decade since that announcement, river blindness has been virtually eliminated as
prove to be blind when it comes to the world they are in. By looking
Processing capacity is a very broad and flexible category according to many researchers. In fact, the quote above mentioned suggests that we often fail to notice things that happen just in front of us (unexpected events that are often salient) either because we were completely absorbed by something else or because we had so many things to do at the same time that we couldn’t pay attention to it. We have all at least once failed to see a friend who was waving at us while eating in the cafeteria or walking in a crowded street. The primary question that we should ask ourselves is: how many things can we attend at the same time? The truth is that we didn’t perceive this friend because of a phenomenon called “inattentional blindness”. The problem is that the richness of our visual experience leads us to believe that our visual representation will include and preserve the same amount of detail (Levin et al 2000). In this paper we’ll see the different theories of inattentional blindness, and the classical theories demonstrating this paradigm.
On the other hand, James Joyce, in his story Araby, expresses the idea of blindness in a different way. Instead, he uses light and dark to pinpoint shadows, gloomy lives and naive thoughts. The implications of blindness can be different and numerous. It moves from the literal meaning to the metaphorical one, as we can notice clearly in Carver's the Cathedral. Robert's blindness is notably interchangeable bewteen what robert is expected to be as blind and what the narrator really
Glaucoma is a common and important health problem. It is one of the leading causes of blindness in Western Society (Hoskins & Kass, 1989). It is responsible for ten percent of all blindness in the United States and continues to be the second or third most common cause of blindness in the world (Bunce, Fraser, & Wormald, 1999). It is estimated that two million people in the United States have been diagnosed as having glaucoma. Glaucoma is known to affect about two percent of Caucasians beginning at the age of 40 with an increasing risk for those over the age of 60. This risk is especially high if a member of the family has glaucoma or diabetes. Further, there is a higher risk of a glaucoma diagnosis for African Americans over the age of 40.
Life revolves around being able to see things. Although individuals who are blind can lead a full and happy life, someone with excellent vision who suddenly loses theirs or notices a decrease in their visual acuity over time may find it difficult to adapt. Thankfully, with the help of an optometrist, individuals can actively work to preserve their vision for as long as possible. Phoenix Eye Care must be a priority for all, as advanced technology allows threats to the eyes to be detected as the earliest stage. The right treatment can help to slow or stop the progression before major issues develop. For this reason, every individual needs to undergo routine eye exams.
Eyes are the ‘organ of sight or vision; the visual sense; the sense of seeing’ (Biology-Online). The eye is an organ that detects light and sends signals along the optic nerve to the brain. The eye allows for light recognition and the ability to differentiate between colors, and light and dark. The eye is approximately 2.54 cm wide, 2.54 cm deep and 2.2 cm tall. The human eye has around 200-degree viewing angle and can see and detect more than 10 million colors and shades. This essay is going to look at ways of seeing. The possible problems with eyesight, and eyes of various kinds. It is one of the most rare problems today that is affecting people, all over the world. Around the world an estimate of 4 in 10 people have perfect vision/sight (BBC). The population of the world right now
Myopia, or nearsightedness, is the most common ocular disorder in the world and affects people of all ages. Nearly 30 percent of the US population is currently affected by myopia and based on the National Eye Institute’s latest projections, 39 million Americans will be affected by 2030 and over 44 million by 2050.
E. H. L. Leung and M. Hollins, Understanding Blindness: An Integrative Approach, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1989.
When most people think of blind people, they tend to picture a person with dark sunglasses, a seeing eye dog, and a walking stick. These are stereotypes and obviously do not remain true in the case of all blind people. In Raymond Carver’s short story “Cathedral," the main character is jealous and judgmental of his wife’s friend who happens to be a blind man. It is the combination of these attitudes that leads to his own unique “blindness." It is through this initial blindness, that the character gains his greatest vision.
According to NIB study,which analyzed potential reasons why walloping 70 percents of blind people are not employed, they found that “hiring managers, most respondents (54 percent) felt there were few jobs at their company that blind employees could perform,...Forty-two percent of hiring managers believe blind employees need someone to assist them on the job;.. 34 percent said blind workers are more likely to have work-related accidents.’ These statistics shows us the the condition of being blind is associated with being incapable, clumsy, and unproductive in the workforce. Sontag teaches us when when we give meaning to a disease like blindness, we constructed it in a way that is punishing to those afflicted with the disease. The reality is blind people are capable individual who can carry out the job as well as a normal person in the workforce. This reality is often hidden from managers by negative stereotypes of the condition of being
Dementia seems to strike almost every elderly person, it could range from a mild to severe form. Dementia is the “irreversible loss of intellectual functioning caused by organic brain damage or disease. Dementia becomes more common with age, but it is abnormal and even pathological even in the very old,” (Berger 2011, page 678). There are many factors that can cause for a person to have dementia. Although dementia occurs in many people, there are steps people can take to help treat their dementia symptoms. Dementia is not 100 percent preventable, but if a person takes care of their body they may be able to reduce their possibilities of getting it.
Short-sightedness means when citizens of the world do an action and don’t think about the bad consequences that might happen in the future. For example when humankind cut down too many trees, they are wasting resources that other people can use in the future. It also means that when humanity does not think about how their actions will affect the next generations to come. The opposite of short-sightedness is far-sightedness. Far sightedness means when people actually think about their actions and will not affect the future negatively. To conclude, short-sightedness is basically people doing their everyday actions without thinking about what will happen in the future if they keep doing these things.