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Most people simply close their eyes when they want to imagine what it would be like to be blind, but not all vision impairment is as simple as that.
People with vision impairment usually have some kind of residual vision (but not very useful). They might be able to perceive light, see around the periphery but not in the centre of their field of vision, or see everything in fuzzy shades of grey. Approximately one out of every ten people with vision impairment uses braille—many others will use large print.
To be "legally blind" in Australia means that someone, even with glasses or contact lenses, can see an object at 6 metres that someone without vision impairment could see from 60 metres away. This is called 6/60 vision. Normal vision is 6/6 vision (or 20/20 in imperial measures).
Try the activities below to get an approximate idea of what blindness might be like.
- View this page
See this page with 6/60 vision, 4/60 vision, and significantly reduced visual acuity. - Other types of vision impairment
Get an idea for how things look with different types of vision impairment - Braille game
Type your name and see it converted to braille!
More information
For more information, you might like to see:
- General information about vision impairment
- Stories about kids with vision impairment
- How you can help children who have impaired vision
