What are cataracts?
A cataract is when the normally clear lens of the eye becomes hazy. If the lens is not clear, sufficient light cannot get into the eye and vision is often blurred. The hazier the lens is, the more blurred the vision will be.
Cataracts can be unilateral (in one eye only) or bilateral (both eyes). Children with a cataract in only one eye often have good vision in the other. Prevalence increases with age but it is also found in the young.
Treatment can include:
- Lens removal (aphakic). This can cause distortion of images, difficulties with depth perception and a reduced visual field. Vision is usually improved with contact lenses or spectacles, though the ability of the eye to accommodate (change focus for near and distance) is usually lost.
- Insertion of plastic lenses (pseudoaphakic). The new false lens can help to improve vision.
Education strategies that can help
- Encourage children to wear and use their prescribed spectacles, contact lenses or low vision aids. This will help the vision parts of the brain grow and develop.
- Wearing a hat and tinted glasses can also help reduce effect of bright light, also known as photophobia.
- Curriculum resources should be clutter free, have a good contrast between text and background and, possibly, enlarged or modified.
- Child or young person to use a dark pen or 2b pencil to improve contrast with page.
- Additional time may be needed for visual tasks, examinations or tests.
- Consider PE activities, as fast moving team games may be difficult.
- Child or young person to be sat in an optimum position to see information presented at distance (including, for example, assemblies).
- Classrooms to have good levels of lighting, controlled with curtains or blinds the light source should come from behind the child or young person and onto the object being viewed.
- CYP to be addressed by name when being given instruction, as they may not recognise non-verbal communication across a wide space
- Own copy of resources.
- UK education collection | RNIB Bookshare, accessible books for print disabled learners.
For more information
- Cataracts | RNIB
- What do we see? 2 – How the world looks to vision impaired children and young people – Thomas Pocklington Trust (pocklington-trust.org.uk) This video simulates what vision could be like with cataracts. It should only be used as an indication as vision is different for everyone.