Mobility aids - Fighting Blindness (2024)

FAQs

How to become unblind? ›

There's no current cure for blindness. But treatments can offer help for some people, depending on the cause and progression of their vision loss. New treatments in various phases of development also offer hope, including gene and stem cell therapies. For many causes of blindness, prevention is still the best option.

Breaking the bad news

The seven phases of adjustment to blindness are: (1) trauma (physical or social), (2) shock and denial, (3) mourning and withdrawal, (4) succumbing and depression, (5) reassessment and reaffirmation, (6) coping and mobilization, and (7) self-acceptance and self-esteem [5].

Help is available and a person with a visual impairment, even one with total blindness can learn adaptive techniques to live alone, cook, keep their home clean, use a computer and phone, travel independently, and work.

And it's a lot. In a class of its own. The only approved gene therapy for an inherited type of blindness will cost $425,000 per eye—the most expensive single dose of a drug in the U.S. At $850,000 for both eyes, that would be more than 10 times the median net worth of an American family.

Vision loss in one or both eyes from amblyopia can be significantly restored without surgery. Even in situations of severe amblyopia, vision restoration is possible using Fedorov RestorationTherapy as new connections in the brain are encouraged to develop with this treatment.

All are basing their work on a research tool in neuroscience called optogenetics, a form of gene therapy that delivers proteins called opsins via injection into the eye to boost the light sensitivity of cells in the retina, the layer of tissue at the rear of the eyeball.

How to treat fear of going blind. Blindness themed OCD can be debilitating for people who struggle with it, but it is highly treatable by doing exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy with guidance from a trained ERP Therapist.

Find and Enroll in a Lifestyle Adjustment Course: Adjustment classes help people reacclimate to daily living following major vision loss. In these classes, an experienced coach will teach you how to follow your daily routine with confidence and poise.

One of the most significant challenges for blind individuals is transportation. The reliance on public transportation or private services can be fraught with difficulties. Public transportation systems are not always equipped with adequate facilities or trained personnel to assist the visually impaired.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

SSI is a program that provides monthly payments to individuals who are either aged 65 or older, blind, or disabled, and have limited income and resources. Legally blind individuals can receive SSI benefits based on financial need.

How do blind people make money? ›

Blind/ Low Vision Individuals Hold All Types of Jobs

Individuals who are blind/ low vision are employed in all classes of work. This includes the private sector (nonprofit and for-profit); local, state, and federal government; and even self-employment as entrepreneurs.

Assistive technologies like screen readers convert text into speech, facilitating computer and smartphone usage. Tactile markers and talking watches assist with time management. Mobility aids such as white canes and guide dogs enhance navigation.

Put your arm behind your back when you are walking through narrow spaces. The person you are guiding will feel your arm movement and step behind you so that both of you can walk single file. If you need to turn around, announce it. Then face the person you are guiding and allow the person to take your other arm.

While 80% of visual impairment can be prevented or cured, there remains 20% of cases for which there is currently no way of curing. A range of conditions exists where those who develop them are faced with a gradual loss of vision until their impairment is so severe that they are effectively blind.

Can Eyesight Be Improved Naturally? Unfortunately, eyesight cannot be improved naturally and there's no way to change a refractive error, such as myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, or presbyopia. These visual conditions can be treated with glasses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery.

Many studies have been conducted to find out if eye exercises can improve your physical vision, making it possible to see again without glasses or contact lenses. However, these studies have disproved this myth.

Temporary loss of vision can occur in one eye and sometimes both eyes. It's usually a symptom of an underlying condition that's causing insufficient blood flow to the eye, such as a blood clot. The vision loss can last from seconds to minutes.