Low vision is a visual impairment that limits your ability to clearly read printed materials or recognize details at a distance, even while wearing your regular prescription glasses. It’s often caused by conditions like Macular Degeneration, Glaucoma, Diabetic Retinopathy, or Cataracts, and it can develop gradually enough that it’s mistaken for “just needing a stronger prescription.”
A good rule of thumb: if you’ve had your glasses updated and you’re still struggling to read your mail, recognize faces across a room, or safely move around your home, that’s worth mentioning to your eye care professional. Distorted or blurred vision that doesn’t improve with corrective lenses is one of the clearest signs that low vision services — not just a new prescription — may help.
The path into STAVI’s Low Vision Services starts with your eye doctor. They’ll send a referral based on a recent exam, ideally within the last 12 months, so our Low Vision Specialists are working from accurate, up-to-date information about your eyes.
From there, a Low Vision Specialist evaluates how much usable vision you have and prescribes the optical devices most likely to help — often a combination of magnification, lighting, and contrast tools rather than a single “fix.” A Vision Rehabilitation Therapist then works with you until you’re comfortable and independent using whatever’s been recommended.
None of this requires you to already know what device you need. That’s the point of the evaluation. If something in your daily routine — reading a prescription bottle, recognizing your grandchild’s face, paying a bill — has quietly gotten harder, it’s worth the conversation.