BLINDNESS AND VISION IMPAIRMENTS: DEFINITIONS and TERMINOLOGY
Definition of Blindness (termed: ‘people who are blind’)
Australian Government Definition
(BCA uses this definition as determining criteria for full and junior membership, as expressed in the organisation’s Memorandum and Articles of Association)
Definition of ‘Permanent Blindness’: Federal Department of Family, Community and Indigenous Affairs (FaCSIA) - Guide to Social Security Law
“1.P.210 Permanent blindness (DSP, Age)
Definition
When determining permanent blindness for the purposes of DSP or Age, the following guidelines are applied: visual acuity (1.1.V.50) on the Snellen Scale after correction by suitable lenses must be less than 6/60 in both eyes, or constriction to within 10 degrees of fixation in the better eye irrespective of corrected visual acuity, or a combination of visual defects resulting in the same degree of visual impairment as that occurring in the above points.”
Source: http://www.facsia.gov.au/guides_acts/ssg/ssguide-1/ssguide-1.1/ssguide-1.1.p/ssguide-1.1.p.210.html
6/60 means what a person with normal sight can see at 60 meters the person with the visual impairment can see the same object only at 6 meters.
A Snellen chart is an eye chart used by eye care professionals and others to measure visual acuity. Snellen charts are named after the Dutch ophthalmologist Hermann Snellen who developed the chart in 1862.
More information on eye charts including an interactive visual representation of a Snellen Chart: http://www.lowvisiononline.unimelb.edu.au/Screening/acuity.htm
Definition of Vision Impairment (termed: ‘people who are vision impaired’)
In terms of a technical definition of vision impairment, The Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA) provides the best definition in their 2004 study conducted by Access to Economics:
Vision Impairment: “visually impaired in both eyes (visual acuity <6/12)”.
Source: Clear Insight - The Economic Impact and Cost of Vision Loss in Australia released in August 2004
Definitions of Low Vision (termed: ‘people with low vision’)
There are a few definitions of low vision out there:
1. Vision Australia’s definition of Low Vision:
“A person is said to have low vision when their eyesight is limited or impaired and cannot be corrected with conventional glasses or contact lenses.
Low vision can affect people of all ages and have an impact on many aspects of a person's life. It may cause problems with recognizing faces, reading the newspaper, dialing the telephone or seeing road signs”.
Source: http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/info.aspx?page=583#whatis
2. World Health Organisation definition of Low Vision
Low vision is visual acuity less than 6/18 and equal to or better than 3/60 in the better eye with best correction.
Source: http://www.who.int/blindness/causes/priority/en/index5.html
Definition of people with full sight (termed: ‘people who are fully sighted’)
When a person’s eyesight has no vision loss limitations – or - has vision loss limitations which can be corrected with conventional glasses or contact lenses.
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