Orthoptists provide rehabilitation strategies that assist people with vision loss to remain independent and continue to undertake their essential daily tasks such as work, study; leisure activities and home activities.

For example, age-related Macular Degeneration is a leading cause of blindness in the western world. It is particularly debilitating as the high quality “straight ahead” sight is lost. Orthoptists work with people with macular degeneration teaching them to use an alternative area of their eye to see with. This is called “eccentric viewing”; they can also assist with magnifiers and enhanced lighting.

As well as this, Orthoptists work with children who have disabilities including sight problems. Development and education programs for such children are all highly vision based and so developing an understanding of what a child can see and assisting in developing their use of sight is very important.

Children in these special education settings usually are unable to respond to the traditional forms of clinical sight testing. Orthoptists with a sound understanding of the sight process can modify test procedures and interpret unusual responses. This helps with providing an initial assessment which is used to then suggest strategies to help carers work within any limitations of sight the child might have.

Vision rehabilitation is an extremely rewarding area of orthoptic practice.