Sight

Using our vision, we perceive:

• Shapes
• Distance
• Movement
• Color
• Heat
• Depth

We notice and understand all of these thanks to our sense of sight.

Here is a friend you might see at AccesSurf!

This is what someone with a vision impairment might see:

What would be difficult?

• Locating the front and back of a rash guard
• Recognizing a friend waving from a distance
• Filling out the sign-in sheet
• Noticing a dip in the sand
• Timing a wave
• Finding the correct size booties in a pile

What can I do?

Recognize that not being able to fully see what is going on can be scary, and it can make some activities more difficult.

Recognize how vision impacts a person’s ability to participate.

Some things you can do to help:

• Offer help by asking, “How can I help?”
• We want participants to do as much as they can by themselves to build their independence and make them feel confident!
• Update the participant on their environment.
• “There’s a wave coming up!” or “It looks like there’s one more buckle to fasten on your life vest.”

Common Visual Impairments

• nearsightedness
• farsightedness
• astigmatism
• detached retina
• color blindness

• cataracts
• strabismus
• glaucoma
• macular degeneration