Low or declining vision affects a person’s entire life, from performing routine daily tasks to coping with a changing self-image. But, it doesn’t have to mean the end of an independent and satisfying life. February is Low Vision Awareness Month and calls attention to adult macular degeneration and low vision, which is a visual impairment not correctable by standard glasses, contact lenses, medicine or surgery.

The UAB Center for Low Vision Rehabilitation uses a multidisciplinary team approach and state-of-the-art equipment to help people with low vision stay self-sufficient. The UAB Center for Low Vision Rehabilitation is the nation’s first fully integrated facility of its kind. There, experts in optometry, ophthalmology, occupational therapy and psychology work together to address each patient’s individual needs. Occupational therapists, for example, assist patients learning to use a wide range of vision-enhancing devices. The devices can be as simple as magnifying glasses or as high-tech as computer-assisted imaging equipment.

The UAB Center for Low Vision Rehabilitation is located at the Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital at UAB.