The Facts

• Low vision usually means that the best attainable vision is 20/70. In other words, the smallest print you can read at 20 feet can be read by someone with normal vision at 70 feet. In most states, vision of 20/70 or better is required to get a drivers' license.
  
  

Causes

• The most common cause of low vision is age-related macular degeneration. Other causes include diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and cataracts. It can also be caused by congenital eye diseases, such as optic nerve disease.
  
  

Significance

• According to the Cleveland Clinic, about one in 20 Americans has low vision. As many as one in four adults over the age of 75 are affected by this condition.
  
  

Optical Devices

• Hundreds of optical devices are available to maximize sight. High-powered magnifying spectacles may be used for close work. Telescopes may be used for distance viewing. Closed circuit television can produce an enlarged image on the screen.
  
  

Considerations

• If you have low vision, you are considered severely visually impaired but you are not considered legally blind. In the United States, legal blindness is vision of 20/200 or less.