Visual Impairment Posted or Updated on 19 May 2025

What is visual impairment?

Visual impairment is the term used to describe a loss of sight that cannot be corrected using glasses or contact lenses. There are two main categories of visual impairment:

• Registered partially sighted, which means the level of sight impairment is moderate
• Registered blind, which means a severe sight impairment where activities that rely on eyesight become impossible

A consultant ophthalmologist is responsible for registering an individual as blind or partially sighted.  For many, the visual impairment will not be obvious to others, even when someone is registered blind.

Worried about your sight?  

It’s best to make an appointment with your optician for an initial check-up.  

If necessary, they’ll refer you to an eye specialist – an ophthalmologist. 

If your vision has deteriorated very suddenly, you should seek urgent medical help.  

How many blind people are there in the UK? 

In the UK, more than two million people are living with sight loss. Of these, around 340,000 are registered as sight impaired or severely sight impaired. 

Blindness and Vision Loss

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vision-loss/