Understanding Vision
Vision is More Than seeing Clearly.
Vision is a complex process that involves several functions working together.
- Our eyes move and take in visual information
- Our attention helps us notice what is important, and
- Our brain helps us understand and use what we see in everyday life.
Together, these processes allow us to use vision in everyday life.
A person may see clearly — have good visual acuity — but still find some visual activities challenging. This is because seeing clearly is only one part of vision. The brain also needs to understand what we see and help us use that information in everyday activities.
When Vision Becomes More Difficult
When some parts of the visual process do not work effectively, using vision in everyday activities may become more difficult or require more time and effort.
This may occur, for example, following a brain injury or concussion, with some neurological conditions, or in association with developmental and learning difficulties.
People may not always realise that the difficulties they experience can be related to vision.
How Might This Feel in Everyday Life?
Does This Sound Familiar?
I lose my place on the page and have to read the same line again.
In a busy supermarket it can be difficult to find what I am looking for.
Walking down stairs can be challenging because I am not always sure where the next step is.
I have to look at a sign or a picture several times before I understand it.
When I look up from my phone, it takes a while before it is clear things that are far away.
I sometimes see two objects on the table when there is only one.
These experiences can have different causes. Some may require medical or optometric investigations, while a functional vision assessment can help explore how visual difficulties affect everyday activities and participationin social and professional life.
How Different Parts of Vision Work Together
Using vision involves several functions working together:
- notice what is in front of our eyes,
- move our eyes and attention toward it,
- recognise and understand what we see,
- understand where things are,
- knowing and being aware about our position in space,
and based on this information we will be able to take decision and use vision to guide what we do.
Vision also works together with memory, movement and other senses such as audutory sense, tactile, vibration, balance etc.
How effectively we use vision can change depending on the activity, the surroundings and our physical and mental state. For example, finding an object on an uncluttered table may be easier than finding the same object on a crowded shelf. Visual activities may also require more effort when we are tired, under stress, have difficulty maintaining attention, or experience changes in our health or neurological functioning.
Many of the visual abilities we use to look, find, follow and respond to visual information are referred to as visual skills. These skills work together whenever we use vision in everyday life.
Visual Skills
Visual skills include abilities such as:
- keeping our eyes focused on something,
- moving our eyes accurately,
- coordinating the two eyes,
- shifting visual attention toward the visual information we are interested to,
- finding visual information,
- and using vision to guide our actions.
We use these skills together during everyday activities such as reading, finding things, using a computer, reaching for objects or moving through our surroundings.
How effectively these skills work together contributes to functional vision — how we use vision in everyday life.
What is Functional Vision?
This is where functional vision becomes important.
Functional vision describes how effectively a person uses vision in everyday life - to recognise people and objects, find things, move through environment, guide actions and carry out everyday activities.
It reflects not only what a person can see, but how different aspects of vision work together during real-life activities and in different environments.
The important question is therefore not only
“How clearly can you see?”
but also
“How does your vision support what you need to do?”