Depending on the severity of the case and the condition, LASIK may still be an option for a person who is legally blind. Based on the report on visual standards published by the International Council of Ophthalmology, the definition of legal blindness is a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the best eye to correction or MAVC. This is consistent with the WHO definition and the International Classification of Diseases.4 In the United States, visual impairment is only called “blindness” in the Social Security Act, and in that law, loss of visual acuity is explicitly and exclusively mentioned as a definitive feature of blindness. The visual field is included in their definition of blindness as follows: “restriction of visual fields so that the widest diameter of the visual field has an angle not exceeding 20 degrees” is considered blind within the meaning of the law.7 People can be born blind or develop this impairment over time. Some of the causes of legal blindness include cataracts, diabetes, and glaucoma. Depending on the cause of the impairment, legal blindness can be reversed, especially in the case of cataracts. The importance of determining the fitness of a person with a visual impairment and reminding these patients to apply for disability benefits for their rehabilitation is also an objective of this study. How is a person considered “legally blind”? It is actually an interesting question, especially for those who think they might be legally blind. Lack of awareness among patients and even healthcare providers about the invisible threat of blindness can play an important role in increasing DR. Although physician and patient knowledge of diabetic retinal complications has increased through global information campaigns, studies in Indonesia, Myanmar, Malaysia and Singapore have shown that patient and physician awareness of appropriate care recommendations and patient awareness of the presence of retinopathy are woefully inadequate.13 There are no studies in the Philippines. that raises awareness of diabetic retinopathy as a complication of diabetes. It is more common for us to catch patients with diabetic retinopathy at an advanced and irreversible stage, so with a more severe visual impairment at the beginning, and it is no different in this study.
Endocrinologists, ophthalmologists and primary care physicians all need to have a general knowledge of the appropriate diabetic eye care recommendation. What happens if a completely blind po ba is qualified? Baket yung putol isang kamay o paa. Qualified. Injustice namn po iyon sa aming iisa lang ang ang matang nakakakita!? The use of glasses is NOT a basis for visual impairment. The last working impressions of the subspecialty clinic were used to count the most common causes of visual impairment. Projections were also factored into the final patient enrollment. In patients with more than one cause of vision loss, the most serious cause was used for counting. The final count of all identified legally blind patients (severe visual impairment, BCVA of 20/200 or worse, 6/60) was reviewed by a Social Security representative to determine eligibility for a permanent partial disability claim. The NCDA (National Council on Disability Affairs) states that the woman`s viral message is incorrect. You cannot obtain a PWD ID for this note.
It is only given to people who can be considered blind under the law because their vision cannot be corrected even with glasses or contact lenses. In summary, this report found that five clinical conditions are responsible for most of the irreversible causes of legal blindness or severe visual impairment in working-age patients at East Avenue Medical Center`s DOH Eye Center in 2014. These were diabetic retinopathy/maculopathy and pathological myopia, followed by inherited retinal diseases, glaucoma and optic atrophy. Between 2008 and 2014, there were significant changes in the numbers. These changes can be assessed and examined to serve as a public health indicator for ophthalmology. Figure 1. Main causes of legal blindness at the DOH Eye Center among working-age adults (15-64 years): 2008 and 2014. “To qualify for a PWD (person with a disability) ID card and its benefits, people with visual impairments must have corrected visual acuity of 20/70 in the best eye to be called LOW VISION, and 20/200 visual acuity in the best eye, to be called LEGAL BLIND,” explained St. Luke`s Eye Institute Global City. In 2014, GO Clinic received 8,941 newly enrolled patients, including 146 patients aged 15 to 64 classified as blind.
The records of these patients were followed in their respective subspecialty references for the final BCVA of 20/200 (6/60) in the best eye and final diagnoses were noted. This was compared to 7,382 GO patients in 2008 and 61 legally blind patients that year. Table 1 shows the number of patients who were in their best eye in their final BCVA for each of the disease categories 20/200 (6/60) or worse. General requirements for Agency staff. – officials and servants of the Office should have a general knowledge of the adaptation and vocational training of blind and other disabled persons and should be aware of all the public and private services available to blind and other disabled persons; and must be familiar with techniques for dealing with cases related to employment problems of blind and other persons with disabilities. (c) persons with disabilities. – Includes not only blind people, but also people with significant occupational disabilities in the form of physical or mental impairment. (b) rehabilitation diagnosis. – The clinic of the practice subjects each individual to a medical examination, personal interviews and tests of aptitude and interest in order to respond to his problems and needs, to discover the nature and extent of his disability and to determine the type of work he can best perform. These medical examinations, which include not only general medical examinations, but also specialized and laboratory examinations, may also be obtained by hospitals and other allied government agencies, as appropriate.
The economic burden resulting from the loss of the country`s working-age population and the cost of social services makes the irreversible causes of blindness a public health problem. There are no studies documenting the economic burden of blindness in the Philippines, but as a developing country, it is expected to make a major contribution to labor productivity. This report provides a concise picture of the causes of legal blindness or severe visual impairment in tertiary eye orientation The economic burden resulting from the loss of the country`s working-age population and the cost of social services make the irreversible causes of blindness a public health problem. There are no studies documenting the economic burden of blindness in the Philippines, but as a developing country, it is expected to make a major contribution to labor productivity. This report provides a concise picture of the causes of legal blindness or severe visual impairment in tertiary eye orientation The economic burden resulting from the loss of the country`s working-age population and the cost of social services make the irreversible causes of blindness a public health problem. There are no studies documenting the economic burden of blindness in the Philippines, but as a developing country, it is expected to make a major contribution to labor productivity. This report provides a concise picture of the causes of legal blindness or severe visual impairment in a tertiary ocular reference center in the Philippines. Four major disease entities accounted for half of all working-age legal blindness in 2014. These were diabetic retinopathy and maculopathy with 26 cases each (18%), myopic refractive errors with 26 (18%), hereditary retinal diseases with 17 (12%) and glaucoma with 15 (10%).
Comparing the 2008 results, significant changes can be observed, among other things, in an increase in the number of cases of severe visual impairment due to diabetic retinopathy and a decrease in the number of cases of severe visual impairment due to glaucoma. The results of this study could have implications for clinical care and ocular reference centre planning in the coming years. It can also help achieve a common goal of reducing the number of irreversible causes of blindness. This study can serve as a health indicator for policy-making in this tertiary health facility. A larger study or even a national study is recommended to better represent the true rate of severe visual impairment from various causes in the Philippines. 1. Bunce C, Wormald R. Leading causes of blindness and Visual Impaired Certification in England and Wales.
BMC Public Health 2006;6:58. 2. Republic Act No. 7277, Magna Charter for the Disabled.