What is the World Health Organization's definition of low vision?

Prepare for the COA Ophthalmic Tech Exam. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Get ready to ace your exam!

The World Health Organization defines low vision as a condition where a person has a corrected visual acuity of less than 20/60 in both eyes. This definition is essential because it establishes a clear criterion for identifying individuals who may face significant challenges in daily life and require rehabilitation services, visual aids, or financial and social support.

This definition highlights that even individuals who may be able to see and correct their vision to a certain extent still may not have sufficient vision for tasks such as reading standard print, navigating their environment, or recognizing faces, especially when visual acuity falls below this threshold. It emphasizes the importance of impaired vision in both eyes rather than just one, illustrating the impact on overall functionality and quality of life.

The other options describe different aspects of visual impairment but do not align with the World Health Organization's standardized definition of low vision. For example, a corrected visual acuity of 20/200 or worse in one eye refers more to legal blindness criteria, and uncorrectable vision of less than 20/400 indicates a more severe level of visual impairment that may be classified as blindness. Visual field loss of less than 10 degrees is a specific measure of peripheral vision impairment but does not directly correlate with the defined category of low vision

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