The document discusses blindness and visual impairment globally. It reports that 39.365 million people are blind worldwide, with the majority over 50 years old. The leading causes of blindness and visual impairment vary by age, with diseases like AMD, glaucoma, and cataract most common in elderly, and conditions like retinopathy of prematurity most common in children. The document also defines and discusses rehabilitation services for the blind, including independent living skills training, psychological support, housing assistance, vocational training, and help with social support networks and leisure activities.

1. Birkha Bogati
Optometry & vision science
NAMS
2018

3.  'Blindness' is defined as visual acuity of less than 3/60, or
a corresponding visual field loss to less than 10°, in the
better eye with the best possible correction. -WHO

4.  Globally 39.365 million people are blind (0.58% of total
population)
 0-14 yrs 1.421 million people are blind
 15-49 yrs 5.784 million people are blind
 >50 yrs 32.16 million people are blind
 Global data on visual impairment 2010 -WHO

5.  The leading causes of visual impairment are diseases that
are common in elderly persons, including
 AMD,
 Glaucoma,
 DR,
 Cataract, and
 Optic nerve atrophy.

6.  The leading causes of visual impairment in infants and
children are
 Retinopathy of prematurity,
 Deficits in the visual centers of the brain, and
 Cataract and
 Retinal abnormalities.

7.  Rehabilitation is a treatment or treatments designed to
facilitate the process of recovery from injury, illness, or
disease to as normal a condition as possible.
 Purpose
 To restore some or all of the patient’s physical, sensory, and
mental capabilities that were lost due to injury, illness, or
disease.

8.  Definition
 Psychological rehabilitation is a process that facilitates the
opportunity for individual who are impaired, disable or
handicapped by a mental disorder to reach their optimal
level of independent functioning in the community.
-WHO

9.  Is the process of restoration of community functioning and
well-being of an individual blind people who may be
considered to have a psychological impact.

10.  Improving social competence by enhancing individual’s social
skill, psychological coping and occupational functioning.
 Reducing discrimination and stigma
 Family support to those families with a member who is a blind
 Social support by creating a maintaining a long term system of
social support, covering at least basic needs related to housing,
employment, social network and leisure
 Consumer empowerment by enhancing consumer’s and carer’s
autonomy, self-advocacy capabilities.

11.  Independent living skills and social skills training
 Independent living skills, e.g.; bathing, dressing, grooming,
 Social skills, e.g.; promote the acquisition, generalization
and durability of skills needed in society & interpersonal
situations

12.  Psychological support to patient and their families include
education, information about their rights and availability
of resources
 Housing
 Support to built blind friendly house, schools, public toilets,
 Vocational rehabilitation and employment
 Working and having job increases the consumer’s
satisfaction and self-esteem and breaks the cycle of poverty
and dependence. Work gives an opportunities to socialize
and communicate

13.  Social support network
 Social support networks are an enduring set of human
relationships experienced by individuals in a positive light,
that are likely to have a lasting impact on their life through
the exchange of emotional, physical, economical and
intellectual influence. They work mostly by strengthening
the individual’s coping ability.

14.  Leisure
 Access to appropriate leisure activities and freedom of
choice are indispensible condition for healthy leisure
pursuits.