Low vision and rehabilitation

The Italian Law of 3 April 2001, no. 138, established a classification of visual impairment that takes into consideration not only residual vision, as the previous legislation did (Laws no. 66/62, 382/70, 33/80, 660/84), but also the residual binocular visual field. This classification identifies five levels of visual impairment: total blindness, partial blindness, severe visual impairment, moderate visual impairment and mild visual impairment.

TOTAL BLINDNESS

Those who are affected by complete vision loss in both eyes.
Those who have a mere perception of light and shadow, or of hand motion in the best eye.
Those who have a peripheral binocular visual field residual lower than 3%.

PARTIAL BLINDNESS

Those who have a visual acuity no greater than 1/20 in both eyes or in the best eye, even with the best correction.
Those who have a peripheral binocular visual field residual lower than 10%.

SEVERE VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

Those who have a visual acuity no higher than 1/10 in both eyes or in the best eye even with the best correction.
Those who have a peripheral binocular visual field residual lower than 30%.

MODERATE VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

Those who have a visual acuity no greater than 2/10 in both eyes or in the best eye even with the best correction.
Those who have a peripheral binocular visual field residual lower than 50%.

MILD VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

Those who have a visual acuity no greater than 3/10 in both eyes or in the best eye even with the best correction.
Those who have a peripheral binocular visual field residual lower than 60%.

Information document by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness – IAPB Italy