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IAPB Essential List: Low Vision Services

Why is this list important?

Despite major advances in eye care, an estimated 124 million people worldwide cannot have their sight fully restored with standard corrective measures. These people are regarded as having low vision. The majority of them, about 80 million people, however, have some residual vision that can be enhanced with special intervention: rehabilitation strategies, optical and non-optical devices, all of which can be utilized to assist them to carry out tasks that require vision.

What does this list contain?

This list provides recommendations for Instrumentation, Equipment and Low Vision Optical Devices and Assistive Devices for people with low vision. These are classified as desirable (D) or essential (E) across all three levels of service: primary, secondary and tertiary. See the following figure:

Flow chart of low vision care, from primary level with generalist community personnel to spread awareness and provide some basic rehabilitation. At the secondary level there are generalist eye health personnel with sufficient low vision training to enable them to provide some low vision care as part of their eye health duties. At the Tertiary level there are LV sub-speciality eye health personnel who provide LV services for the majority of their time.

Suggested quantities are calculated for:

  • Equipment and instrumentation used for assessment of visual acuity and vision function
  • Optical and assistive low vision devices used for assessment of vision/functionality. These are also issued or dispensed to patients.

Download the Essential List

Download the IAPB Essential List for Low Vision Services by selecting this link.

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