A Better View: New Low-Vision Technology Helps Bring the World Into Focus

Approximatley 2% of Americans have a visual disability-vision that cannot be corrected even with the strongest prescription-and in developing countries where infectious disease or untreated cataracts are more common, the percentage is often higher. Many different diseases and conditions can cause low vision, including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and cone dystrophy (a genetic mutation affecting the cone cells of the retina). People with low vision find everyday activities more challenging. They may not be able to decipher small type, especially text on busy or colored backgrounds; see a plastic toy or other trip hazard left lying on the sidewalk; distinguish faces from more than a few feet away; or read street signs or the route number on a bus to help them get around town.