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vision testing at WCA
ESA85 says:
“Using the left eye was able to read N14 print on a reading test type chart from a distance of 25cm with glasses
Visual acuity was 6/6 using the left eye with glasses”
Client has no sight in her right eye and sometimes loses sight in her left eye for a short period. I attended the assessment and I can’t remember her doing the test but my notes say “able to read 3rd line down on eye test”
Anyone any idea what chart they are using to test her vision here and whether it has any validity? 25cm seems a very short distance.
Thanks Dan.
I’ve also come across this https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/forums/viewthread/7992/#35726 which is helpful
Table 5 in this:
http://www.icoph.org/downloads/visualstandardsreport.pdf
might be useful.
Whole thing looks very interesting so that’s reading sorted for this evening. Suspect things have moved on a little since 2002 as regards the importance of functional testing versus clinical results. I’ve only glanced at it but apparently I’m not visually impaired at all despite being registered.
Then again I was informed by an ECLO at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital that they do not classify the loss of one eye as a visual impairment where there is full function in the remaining eye. I see the logic to the extent that people with one eye can still drive if given medical approval but I find that unhelpful in the context of PIP and a little odd as clearly the remaining eye loses some peripheral vision on the side where the other eye has gone and the mere act of having to turn slightly to make up for that will slow things down slightly on all fronts (crossing the road being a prime example). Allied to the fact that (counter intuitively) we do most of our seeing with our peripheral vision and our central vision only kicks in when we need to specifically focus on an object it all paints a slightly messy picture to which HCP reports can only add.
No idea whether the Manchester approach is a national thing or not. I suspect it is but I honestly don’t know.
I do think a pattern is emerging re: functional testing for sensory impairment. 25cm clearly falls outside the accepted reasonable range and the whisper tests for hearing are largely discredited. Anyone would think they don’t take it seriously and think any old info. will do.