Learning About the Eye
Caring for Your Eyes
Eye Conditions
Glasses and Contact Lenses
Debates and Controversies
Living with Low Vision
For Eye Care Professionals
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This site is intended to serve as a resource to help people find information about caring for their eyes, eye conditions, eyeware, and living with a visual impairment. If you would like to suggest a link, please email Sarah.
Please note: Sarah Blake is a person with a visual impairment who has studied education and rehabilitation of the visually impaired; however, the information on these pages does not constitute medical or professional advice and should not be construed as such. If you are in need of medical or professional help, please seek appropriate assistance from professionals who can interact with you.
The first step in understanding an eye problem is understanding how the eye does its job. The article, "The Visual Pathway," introduces some of the structures of the eye and describes their role in the process of seeing. The article, "Normal Visual Development," describes the stages of visual development that a child goes through and may be of particular interest to parents.
In order for the eyes to remain healthy, they should be examined regularly. The article, "Early Detection is Key to Preventing Vision Loss," provides some guidelines for timing regular exams; and the article, "The Importance of Routine Eye Care," explains why keeping the eyes healthy is important even if a person is blind.
If you do not currently have an eye doctor, the National Eye Institute's publication, "Finding an Eye Care Professional," provides some helpful suggestions. The NEI also publishes a listing of organizations that provide financial assistance for eye exams.
The key to getting good care for your eyes is good communication with your doctor. The article, "Tips for Getting the Most From an Eye Exam," suggests things to do before, during, and after an exam. The NEI's article, "Talking to Your Doctor," provides a list of additional questions you may want to ask.
If you have been diagnosed with an eye condition, you can often find information about it on the Internet. Below is a listing of pages on this site that provide links to information about eye conditions.
It is important to understand how glasses or contact lenses work with your eyes and what the numbers on a lens prescription mean. The article, "What You Should Know About Corrective Lenses," explains these things and explains what the lenses can and cannot do.
The greatest debate in the field of eye care concerns research about artificial vision. For many people, the idea of enabling a blind person to see is exciting. For others, it causes strong negative reactions. Each procedure also has risks and limitations. The article, "Myth or Miracle?: The Promise of Sight Restoration," discusses the debate and the the reactions of blind people to the research. Peter Scialli discusses the work of Dr. William Dobelle in his article, "Looking into Artificial Vision for the Blind."
Another controversy concerns the use of stem cells to treat medical conditions. The article, "What Is Stem Cell Research," summarizes the issues in this controversy.
A third debate concerns whether or not "vision stimulation" exercises should be used to help children with severe visual impairments learn to use their vision. This debate is summarized in the article, "Perspectives on Vision Stimulation." The article also provides suggestions for using vision stimulation without ignoring the use of other senses.
The low vision page provides links to articles explaining what low vision is, perspectives on living with low vision, information about low vision examinations and devices, etc. Whether you are a doctor, teacher, parent, or person with low vision, please visit this page for numerous helpful and interesting articles.
Ophthalmologists and optometrists, even when exceptionally skilled in their particular specialty, may be unacquainted with the day to day lives and concerns of people who are blind. This lack of familiarity can make it difficult for them to relate well to patients who are adjusting to severe visual impairment. The article, "Blindness and Visual Impairment: Information for Eye Care Professionals," discusses the needs of patients with visual impairments and ways to assist them when treatment options are limited.
Sarah J. Blake