October is Blindness Awareness month! According to the Perkins School for the Blind, there are four main types of blindness. Two are prevalent within children: CVI and ROP. CVI (Cortical/Cerebral Visual Impairment) is a mechanical issue of the brain in which images are distorted. ROP (Retinopathy of Prematurity) involves abnormal growth of the blood vessels in the retina, the back of the eye. The two others are RP and Macular Degeneration. Macular Degeneration involves deterioration of the macula, which can cause blurriness in central vision and in later stages may result in seeing straight or wavy lines. RP (Retinitis Pigmentosa) is close to our hearts since it is the reason Pennies for the Blind was founded. It involves deterioration of the retina and causes a rare, mostly hereditary, form of tunnel vision. Throughout Blindness awareness month, our goal is to educate others about blindness and how to be an advocate! For more information please continue to check our Facebook, website, and twitter. To learn more about these types of blindness, please visit https://www.perkins.org/four-prevalent-different-types-of-blindness/.
