What is vision?

Vision is complex. It involves both the presence of sight and the brain’s ability to process the information the eyes see. It allows us to make decisions about the environment around us. We use our sight to guide our movements, for example, catching a ball or tying our shoes. It tells us things like how far away an object is—whether it’s an oncoming car or a tab on a screen. Vision guides us to complete many tasks, such as inserting a USB into a port, finding the latch on a laptop lid, or knowing where to put our fingers on a keyboard. Vision can be affected in many different ways. Vision can range from completely absent, to blurry, to perfectly clear.

Vision is influenced by both physical and neurological factors.

There are many conditions and disabilities that can affect a person’s vision. For people with limited vision, interacting with technology often requires the use of other senses like touch and hearing. By creating effective solutions that optimize sensory information, we can make it easier to access technologies that might not otherwise be available.

Blindness (sightlessness)—Does the experience rely on the ability to see in order to be successful?

Low vision (partially sighted)—Does the experience require full range of vision?

Decreased acuity—Does the experience require a high level of visual acuity?

Visual field loss—Is it necessary to see the device, screen, etc. in its entirety in order to complete a task?

Color blindness—Does the experience use color to convey useful information?

Photophobia (light sensitivity)—Does the experience emit light or brightness?

 

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The purpose of this reference is to provide concepts people can use to document and discuss aspects of function. Design should happen with people with disabilities, this reference is meant to support that activity, not replace it.