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Visual Impairment

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Physical Health of Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

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Abstract

Persons with intellectual disability are living longer, and visual health care for this population is a crucial pillar of living healthy and productive lives. Vision is the primary sense for gathering information, initiating action and for interaction with one’s surrounds. Individuals with visual impairment may be at risk for social isolation and extended dependency on caregivers for day-to-day activities. Therefore it is important for both the practitioner and the caregiver to be aware of the signs and symptoms of visual impairment and of the best methods for testing, treatment and adapting the patient’s environment.

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Acknowledgment

Work by the author was supported in part by the Ulla and Bernt Hjejle Memorial Foundation. With thanks to Mette Warburg who wrote the visual impairment chapter in Physical Health of Adults with Intellectual Disabilities.

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  1. Private Practice, Special Olympics Global Health Program, Glastonbury, CT, USA

    Susan C. Danberg

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  1. Susan C. Danberg
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Greenfields, Birmingham, UK

    Vee P. Prasher

  2. University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    Matthew P. Janicki

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Danberg, S.C. (2019). Visual Impairment. In: Prasher, V., Janicki, M. (eds) Physical Health of Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90083-4_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90083-4_8

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