Importance of LVAs in Blind Schools

Low Vision Aids (LVAs) are optical devices that improve residual vision by magnifying the image of an object formed at retina. The principle aim of our study was to identify the number of children with useful residual vision in blind schools of Indore and assess their need for LVAs. 152(100%) childr...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Abhishek Purohit, Namrata Gaikwad, Ulka Srivastava, Pushpa Varma
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2011-04-01
Series:Delhi Journal of Ophthalmology
Online Access:https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/0972-0200.376631
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Summary:Low Vision Aids (LVAs) are optical devices that improve residual vision by magnifying the image of an object formed at retina. The principle aim of our study was to identify the number of children with useful residual vision in blind schools of Indore and assess their need for LVAs. 152(100%) children (5-25yrs) of 4 blind schools of Indore were enrolled in this cross sectional study, of which 96(63.16%) children with useful residual vision were refracted & analyzed. A detailed ophthalmic evaluation included complete history and thorough ocular examination was done. Children with VA greater than light perception who had useful residual vision were assessed with hand held fixed focus telescopes for distance while magnifying spectacles, hand held magnifiers and telscopic lenses for near. After best correction, 89(58.55%) children were found to be blind (3/60 to PL+) and 7(4.60%) had se-vere visual impairment (6/60 to 3/60). For distance, 8(5.26%) children showed an improvement in visual acuity with spectacles and 10(6.57%) improved with fixed focus hand held telescope. For near vision, 13(8.55%) children improved with magnifying spectacles in half eye frame, 4(2.63%) with telescopic magnifiers and another 13(8.55%) accepted magnifying hand held lenses. Importance of LVAs in Blind Schools Thus, our study emphasizes on the need for ophthalmic evaluation, refraction & assessment for LVAs & spectacles in children with useful residual vision in blind schools and periodic review thereafter.
ISSN:0972-0200
2454-2784