Eye conditions and reading
We all know how important reading is. A lot can done for the majority of people with sight loss who have some vision. Magnification, lighting, good text design and computers can all make reading easier.
Some people with sight problems have difficulty seeing things which are directly in front of them, but can see things that are on the ground or at the side of them, others can see well straight ahead but see nothing at the sides. Some conditions cause patchy vision, others affect colour awareness or the ability to judge distances. There are people for whom strong sunlight is a problem, and others who can see nothing in bad light.
Key factors relating to sight loss and reading
Everybody is different and so is their experience of sight loss. Here is a list of things which can affect the impact that sight loss can have:
Degree and experience of sight loss
Age and stage of life, affecting likelihood of social interaction, disposable income, purposes and style of reading
Acceptance of sight loss
Access to and confidence using ICT
Other health problems especially affecting hearing and mobility
Preferences for reading different types of content (books, newspapers or magazines)
Light, average or avid readers
How sight can be affected
How a person with sight loss reads is also influenced by the cause of sight loss. Here is a list of some of the ways that sight conditions can affect vision:
reduced central vision
reduced side vision
patchy vision
colour blindness
clouded vision – especially the loss of fine detail perception
total sight loss
light sensitivity
loss of sight on one side only
Three simple ways to make reading easier
As most people with sight loss are able to read print to some extent, reading can often be facilitated with:
good lighting
good contrast
bold text and good print design
Different reading experiences
Readers often belong to one of two camps:
Those who didn’t read before they lost their sight - perhaps they didn’t have time or were simply not interested. For example, Fred Bennett from Leeds:
“I never used to be much of a reader until I lost my sight. My hobby used to be photography, I was a keen amateur photographer for over 50 years. But then my eyesight started to fail and I had to give it up. Then I discovered Talking Books and now reading is my new hobby.Those who were keen readers in the past and are now cut off from their favourite hobby and fear they will never read again. For example Wendy Evans from Exeter:
“I was always an avid reader before losing my sight and I am so grateful to the National Library Service for making reading possible for me again.”
Related content
- Date: May 2009