By Lucy Corkhill
14th March 2013
According to the Downs Syndrome Organisation’s website, up to 50% of people with Downs Syndrome will need to wear glasses. Even when correctly fitted glasses are worn for long or short sight, 100% of people with Down’s syndrome have poorer visual acuity than other people.
What does this mean for people with Downs Syndrome? The awareness week aims to help everyone appreciate that people with Downs Syndrome see the world differently. Their world lacks the fine details and sharp contrasts the rest of us observe.
What can we do to help?
The Downs Syndrome Organisation urges us to help make their world BIG AND BOLD in order to compensate for the poorer visual acuity. Printed materials for Downs Syndrome people need to be big and bold, alongside big and bold images. As Downs Syndrome individuals are visual learners, this is even more important. All professionals working with people with Downs Syndrome, from school onwards, need to be aware of the problems with visual acuity and make sure that their learning materials are big and bold. The Downs Syndrome Organisation is writing to all local education authorities to get the message about visual acuity into the classroom and enable Downs Syndrome children and adults to enjoy their learning experiences.
The website suggests taking their School Strategies Information Sheet ‘Think Big and Bold’ to your child’s school.
They are also creating a map on their Facebook group of good, helpful and friendly opticians across the UK who are aware of Downs Syndrome needs and provide easy eye tests, well fitted frames with lots of choice and friendly, helpful staff.
You might want to take their Awareness Week Opticians Poster into your local opticians to help them raise awareness.
Families and carers of people with Downs Syndrome can order an awareness week pack online. The pack contains strategies to overcome visual difficulties in school, clear explanation of visual acuity in people with Down’s syndrome and what it means, a facts poster to take to your local Opticians, and a Funky Glasses Colouring and Cut Out Sheet, plus great ideas on how to have fun during awareness week.
