DESCRIBING WHAT I SEE: THERE IS AN IN-BETWEEN

A common question people with visual impairments are asked is “what do you see?” While this can be tricky to answer, I want you to know that most of us living with vision loss have some useable eyesight. My name is Kristen and I was born with congenital bilateral cataracts. I later contracted a disease known as glaucoma that slowly ate away at my vision since age 14.

When people ask me what I see, I tell them I see differently in every changing situation.

I have no functional vision in my left eye. This resulted from a post-surgical complication back in 2016. I can see my hands moving and can tell if there’s a window in broad daylight. Colours are distorted and my visual field is now equivalent to looking through a roll of toilet paper in that eye.

I’m able to read print with a magnifier or screen reader with my right eye. I have poor night vision and I need a mobility aid to navigate the world at night or in dim lighting. The light can’t be too bright or too dull and I’m sensitive to glare. I also see a foggy haze and rainbows around lights in fluorescent lighting (like the lights in a Shopper’s Drug Mart). I have a reduced visual field in this eye, too.

People too often assume that there’s no in-between when it comes to having a visual impairment. People assume you are totally blind or you are fully sighted. This is due to lack of education and awareness around sight loss. Some people are totally blind or have light perception. Others can see either a combination of colours, objects, motion, and print.

We are constantly describing what it’s like to be visually impaired and we often share with people what the world looks like around us, especially with younger generations who are curious about what it’s like to be partially sighted.

For more information on common eye conditions and eye simulations, consult a CNIB office or your local eye care physician.

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