BASICS OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

 Every human being has been gifted with five senses, namely, vision, auditory, olfactory, taste and touch. We get worldly information through these senses. Studies reveal the fact that it is the vision that contributes the most in accessing information. Since it accounts for almost 84% of the total information. We can easily understand the problems faced by a person with visual impairment.

Loss of vision affects each person in different extent. This depends the factors that include like the onset and severity of the loss. The person may also have other health issues, including both physical and mental. The person’s age, personality, self-concept as well as other’s attitudes can all contribute to the psychosocial impact of the person with acquired vision loss. It was in this context that an idea of preparing a Book entitled: “Basics of Visual Impairment” came to a finalization.

The book highlights the key factors of visual disability and the significance of educating and rehabilitating the visually impaired children and adults. It also adds a new dimension to the challenges and supports to the teachers and guardian to adopt new measures and methods.

The book contains seven chapters covering the various clinical and psychosocial aspects of visual disability including the management strategies also.

The first and second chapter deals with the process of vision, visual impairment and its causes, prevention and magnitude. In chapter third to seven the importance of intervention, management, technology, rehabilitation and the development of human resource in the area of visual impairment are discussed.

It is planned as a Book for the teacher trainees of various institutes and also for special educators, inclusive classroom teachers, professionals and scholars etcetera. We have tried our best to make the best for the professionals, yet we feel that the readers are the best judges of the merits. Therefore, suggestions to enhance the value of the work at hand will be gratefully appreciated and invited.