A Brief Comment about My Visual Impairment

I have a severe visual impairment. In fact, it is fair to say that I am partially blind. I meet a sufficient condition in the definition of legally blind due to the fact that I see only about five degrees off of the central line of sight. Specifically, I’ve been given a diagnosis of Retinitis Pigmentosis (RP). My maternal grandfather had the same condition, so it is thought that I have an X-linked form of RP. There is no cure for RP.

At the moment, I am still able to see well enough to do my job, but that might change in the future. I’ll let you know the status of my vision on this web page. Please feel free to talk to me about it.

The Details

Night Blindness

When I am in slightly dim light, I see essentially nothing. A streetlight is visible, but it doesn’t provide enough ambient light for me. Often, I see the same in dim light as I would if my eyelids were closed. For this reason, I use a white cane in dim light.

Tunnel Vision

The legal definition of blindness asserts that if the widest part of ones visual field is less than ten degrees, then one is blind. I fit this definition. So, if I walk past you without saying “Hello,” don’t take it personally! I just didn’t see you. There are other visual cues that I sometimes miss. For example, if you try to shake hands with me, I might not notice. This should not be taken personally. I simply don’t see well enough to know that you are extending your hand.

Near-sightedness

I wear glasses, but they don’t correct my vision completely. My *corrected* vision in my right eye is about 20/70 and in my left eye is about 20/100. This cannot be further corrected by contact lenses or surgery.

Extreme Glare

In bright light, I experience a great discomfort. For this reason, I prefer to read text which is white on a black background.

 

Update August 2022

 

At this point it seems appropriate to provide an update about my retinal degeneration due to X-linked RP (RPGR positive).  My updated symptoms are as follows:

• I have essentially only lmotion detection and some light sensitivity in the left eye.  It is likely that my right eye will degenerate in the next few years to be similar to the left eye.  When that happens, I will start referring to my status as blind rather than nearly blind,
  • The most significant modification that I have made to date is in the following picture:
    

    /Ringo and Jeb

  •  When Ringo is not with me then I must use a white cane.  I also use a professional service called: Aira.  You should “google it” if you are not familiar.  It is awesome!
  • For work that involves a computer, I use a Windows OS running the software called Fusion, which consists of high contrast magnification (ZoomText), and a screen reader (JAWS).  I also have an enhanced Braille display.
  • Since I have serious sensitivity to glare, I really struggle to use a whiteboard when lecturing.  Luckily, I have enough vision in my right eye to still use a blackboard, for the time being.