By blindness one understands a visual acuity (Visus) of at the most 0.02 in Germany according to the legal definition and/or a restriction of the visual field on 5 degrees and less, in each case related to the better and fully corrected eye. A reduction of visual acuity on under less than 0.05 is designated than high-grade Sehbehinderung. The criteria of the WHO for the definition of going blind are less strict.

To the blindness according to above definition the Farbenblindheit (Achromatopsie) and the Nachtblindheit do not belong.

Causes and epidemiology

• innate
  • unsatisfactory Ausdifferenzierung of the kortikalen Sehstrukturen (Amblyopie), e.g. by squinting illness (Strabismus)
  • missing elements of the Sehapparates
  • missing connection between eye and brain
  • genetic assessments, those in the course of the life to going blind to lead can (e.g. Retinitis Pigmentosa, juvenile Makuladegeneration, Optikusatrophie)
• acquired
  • Turbidity of the eyepiece grey star, as a world-wide the most frequent cause
  • Diabetes or agecaused Makuladegeneration (AMD) as most frequent causes in industrialized countries
  • acute or chronic greener star
  • Retinal detachment
  • Follow an impact accumulation
  • Embolien or Thrombosen supplying blood vessels
  • Injuries
  • Infections (e.g. Trachom)

After the WHO report of 2004 164,000 (0.2%) blind and 1.066.000 (1.3%) sehbehinderte humans live in Germany. In Germany approx. 10,000 humans go blind again in the year. This corresponds to a Inzidenz of 12,3/100.000. While it came between 1990 and 2002 only to a moderate rise of the blind ones around 9%, a rise could be registered by Sehbedhinderungen around 80%. This is to be due particularly to the increased life expectancy. During with humans up to 39. Lebensjahr the Optikusatrophie as a the most frequent going blind cause applies, then this is in the age group of 40. to 79. Lebensjahr the diabetische Retinopathie and starting from that 80. Lebensjahr the ageconditioned Makuladegeneration, followed of the Glaukom. There 48% of all going blind starting from that 80. , Is the ageconditioned Makuldegeneration arises to Lebensjahr altogether the most frequent cause for going blind in Germany. 68% of all new going blind concern women.

Training and aid for blind ones

Promotion

Since therapeutic options mostly do not exist in cases of blindness, a great importance is attached to the training course measures (rehablitation). The goal is here above all to make for the blind ones possible an independent and solely responsible In particular with blind and sehbehinderten children a support from early on is in the context of specialized kindergartens and special schools an important condition, in order to secure the intellectual development and the vocational chances.

General aids

Blind humans use a long stick (colloquially often called blind stick), (see also day of the white stick). This serves not only for orientation, but also as characteristic in the traffic, so that each road user is made attentive to the handicap. Additionally blind ones carry usually one Anstecker or two armlets. There three black points are shown on yellow underground.

Some blind ones entrust themselves also to a blind leading dog.

In order completely independently and to move to be able, the environment orients itself however must be so equipped that it can be evaluated acoustically or tactile. In addition marking strips on sidewalks, supplementing acoustic or vibrating signaling devices with traffic lights, railings and hand rails, in addition, a correct security of danger places serve such as building sites or soil openings. Getting along in unvertrauten areas remains however nevertheless often difficult for blind ones.

Electronic aids

In order to make the computer for blind ones usable, a special output device was developed, which Braille display or Braillezeile so mentioned, with which the text on the screen in Braille becomes ertastbar line for line. The Braille display can illustrate, depending upon design, up to 80 indications and e.g. needs a special translation software like Blindows (screen reader).

Graphic user surfaces make handling more difficult for blind ones in relation to the classical text mode. Screen readers however are developed further, the operating systems co-operate on a regular basis better with them, so that in the meantime also most blind ones transferred to operating systems with graphic user surface mastered. Owing to this technology it is possible for them to use many functions of a PC.

Reading out systems convert sceen contents into synthetic language, so that Sehbehinderte, which do not control the Braille (many lategone blind have never a blind school visited), comfortably with these systems work can.

Also for the everyday life there are many different aids. That begins the over cooking of the milk with simple things like speaking clocks and bells and goes over the milk alarm, that prevented up to a stove monitoring, which beeps, if the stove is turned on to for a long time or the Kochplatten become dangerously hot.

Many play manufacturers offer meanwhile also versions of their plays for blind ones. Already for quite some time there are Skat maps, which are covered with a plastic foil, so that seeing ertasten at the same time as used to play and blind one the maps to be able. Also for the computer there is meanwhile a large selection of Soundgames, with those the player the information about the play process about the loudspeakers receives instead of over the screen. This kind of the plays becomes ever more popular also with seeing.

Media

The Braille developed by Louis Braille, the Braille in such a way specified, makes a reading and a writing from texts for blind humans possible. The MOO alphabet, a further Braille, was displaced nearly completely by the Braille. The letter of texts is e.g. for assistance of the blind typewriter possible, which 1899 were already invented by Oskar Picht. There are today also Braille printers for the PC.Es gives various magazines for blind ones. The magazine Brigitte was the first German woman magazine, which gives it completely in Braille. Also this is offered to assistance one in electronic form as text file, in order it by acoustic output, Braillezeile and/or writing enlargement (for Sehbehinderte) modified PCs to make readable. Many magazines, also hearing magazines (on cartridge or DAISY CD up-spoken contributions), are driven out by blind libraries or non-profit associations. In addition, those ever more arising hearing books make a further entrance to the literature for blind humans possible.

In many well-known buildings also models are set up for tactile experiencing. On stations the platforms will provide so-called guidelines, which make it for blind ones possible to be there by right with special grooves. In cartography one works intensively on blind maps, which are to help to make the spatial situation erfahrbar the environment for blind ones.

Some television stations send films in the two-channel clay/tone, with which on the second channel by audio description the action is told.

The recent medium for blind ones is called DAISY. DAISY is the name of a world-wide standard for navigatable, accessible Multimedia documents. The abbreviation DAISY stands for "digitally Accessible information system", too German: digital system for the entrance to information. In the spring 2004 the DAISY CD in the German-speaking countries was introduced, which soon was to replace the outdated compact data cartridge.

Articles in category "Blindness"

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