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| Why do blind people use sunglasses? (Image Credit: Getty Images) |
Why do blind people use sunglasses? Most of us, I'd say, have.
One of the most common misunderstandings regarding blind individuals is that they are entirely unable to see anything. Only 15 percent of those with eye problems get utterly blind due to their condition. The remaining 15 percent can only observe a tiny fraction of the display.
Sunglasses may be worn by a person who is blind for several reasons. Contrary to common opinion, most individuals wear sunglasses to protect their eyes from solid illumination and glare.
To better understand why blind individuals wear sunglasses, as well as how they could aid those with reduced vision, we'll dive a bit farther into this issue.
Why do blind people use sunglasses?
1. Sunglasses may enhance eyesight for blind persons.
Blind people's eyesight may be enhanced with the usage of sunglasses.
The large majority of persons who are legally blind have some degree of vision. When it comes to improving eyesight, wearing sunglasses may help specific individuals.
Legal blindness in the United States is defined as having a better-seeing eye with a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less with corrective glasses or lenses.
An object needs to be at least 20 feet away from you to be seen with the same clarity by someone who does not have 20/20 vision when they are at a distance of 200 feet.
Legal blindness may also occur if your better-seeing eye has a field of vision less than 20 degrees broad without moving your eyes from side to side.. to side. To get a sense of what this could look like, you may poke a hole in a piece of paper with the tip of a pen and peep through.
Sunglasses can reduce glare, which may be a problem for poor eyesight. Nearly the entire field of vision for someone who is blind may be engulfed by a glow that is scarcely perceptible to the naked eye.
Photophobia, or sensitivity to bright light, is prevalent among persons who have lost eyesight. Wearing sunglasses may help people with photophobia protect their eyes from bright lights that could irritate or damage their vision.
2. Protection from the sun
Visible and blind persons may have their eyes damaged or destroyed by sunlight's ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Cataracts and macular degeneration are considerably more probable by exposure to UV radiation. Blindness due to cataracts is the most prevalent condition that affects individuals worldwide.
It doesn't matter whether you can see or not; UV radiation may harm your eyes in the same way for both groups. Sunglasses may enable persons who are legally blind but still have some peripheral vision to prevent more vision loss due to UV radiation exposure.
Some entirely blind persons may experience pain when looking at bright lights while not seeing. This phenomenon has been discovered in migraines with no rod or cone function.
3. To communicate blindness
The pairing of sunglasses and a white cane is commonly perceived as an indicator of blindness. Some blind persons may wear sunglasses to quickly signal blindness in particular contexts.
Communicating blindness helps individuals adopt potentially healthy behaviors, such as keeping a safe distance in crowded circumstances.
Preventing damage and contamination from airborne particles, dust, and other hazardous substances.
When worn over the eyes, sunglasses provide a barrier to keep out dust and debris, which may be particularly dangerous for the visually impaired.
Foreign objects in the eyes are more prone to appear in the eyes of persons who suffer from visual impairments. Things like open cabinet doors or tree branches could be unpleasant to accidentally walk into.
Blind persons may endure as much anguish as sighted people if their eyes are scratched or injured.
Air particles like dust or pollen may cause eye irritation. Reduce the quantity of these particles coming into a blind person's eyes by wearing sunglasses.
5. Aesthetic reasons.
Many vision-challenged persons wear sunglasses to make others comfortable, especially when speaking. Blind persons may have difficulty maintaining eye contact with others since their eyes aren't always pointed in the direction of the sound source. This is another reason individuals conceal their eyes with glasses to avert embarrassment in conversation.
Some individuals lose their sight due to horrible situations or injuries that permanently scar or disfigure their eyes. Consequently, they desire to disguise their eyes from everyone, especially on social media.
Consequently, wearing dark shades may serve a variety of purposes for those with poor eyesight. It is often considered that all visually impaired persons are entirely blind. However, this is usually not the case. They frequently have peripheral vision, which benefits them in social settings and day-to-day tasks.
Also Read: Significant technological developments in the 1990s.
Do blind individuals use unique sunglasses?
It is pretty rare for blind persons to use non-prescription (or Plano) sunglasses to protect their eyes from UV radiation and physical debris. Still, others may demand something a little more specialized.
Some visual problems, for example, may demand the usage of eyewear that filters out specific wavelengths of light. And, again, not everyone who is visually impaired is fully blind; consequently, some may wear prescription sunglasses to enhance their sight.
Low-vision professionals can supply the most up-to-date technological devices and visual help.
It's important to remember that blind individuals use sunglasses for the same reasons the sighted do: protect and improve their eyesight.
Reference: Tachdad
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