Low vision is an incurable condition in which the vision loss is severe enough to interfere with the daily life of the patient. The vision rehabilitation centre trains low vision patients to overcome their visual impairment by using magnifying devices and by adapting independent skills to improve their quality of life. The intervention encompasses detailed examination and assessment, prescription and training in the use of low vision devices; techniques to cope with requirements at school, the workplace and home; environmental adaptations; career guidance; counselling and referral service. Counselling the patient in accepting the limitations imposed by the eye condition, overcoming psychological and emotional problems and facilitating acceptance of low vision devices form part of the rehabilitation programme. Furthermore, parents and family members of the patient are actively involved in the rehabilitation process.

Aravind is a partner in VisionConnection (www.visionconnection.org), an accessible, interactive global Internet portal for people who are partially sighted or blind, the professionals who work with them, the families and friends who support them -- and anyone looking for the latest information on vision impairment, its prevention and vision rehabilitation.

The Low Vision Services was established in the year 2000 with the vision of helping the vision impaired and and in accordance with the global intiative of VISION 2020 to eliminate the needless blindness with low vision as one of the priority area identified. The Low Vision Service has established a steady and sustained growth of 48.16% from 2000 till 2005 and a growth of 6.58% from 2004 to 2005. Replication of Low Vision model similar from Madurai has been done in other centres as Pondicherry, Coimbatore and the basic low vision assessment kit are made available in Theni and Tirunelveli centres.