Vision in athletes with intellectual disabilities: the need for improved eyecare

Special Olympics provides sporting opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities (ID), and Lions Clubs International Opening Eyes GB offers vision screening for athletes at Special Olympics Games.

Opening Eyes GB screened the vision of 505 UK athletes at its inaugural event in 2001. The results were analysed and are presented here.

Results showed that athletes do not differ from other people with ID in being at high risk of ocular and visual defects and many are not accessing eyecare. 15% reported never having an optometric eye examination, and yet 19% of these athletes had a significant refractive error, 32% had ocular anomalies and 6% were visually impaired. Overall, findings confirmed the high prevalence of refractive errors and strabismus amongst people with ID. 40% of athletes had ocular abnormalities, including 15.6% with blepharitis, a readily treatable condition that causes discomfort. 9% had lens opacities, of which half were probably impairing sight. An important finding was that many athletes have reduced vision and 14% could be classified as visually impaired (WHO definition) even when refractive errors were fully corrected.

Special Olympics athletes should be encouraged to have regular eye examinations (as indeed, should all people with ID), and educators, carers and coaches need appropriate information about the visual status of their charges.