Does being visually impaired mean that you are blind? No, it is not at all the case. In fact, to be declared legally blind, you must have 5% of vision or less. It does not means that it is darkness itself but as one of my close friends who is legally blind described it to me, everything is blurry but you can still notice contrasts such as white and black. We even used to watch a show where one character was wearing a black cowboy hat and the other had a white one. Simply by this contrast, she could identify them on the TV screen.

In which way is a "visual impairment" different from "blindness"?

The first thing that you should know is that blindness is a visual impairment but being visually impaired does not mean that someone is legally blind. Well, someone that is visually impaired can actually have a partial 20/20 vision contrary to the person that is blind. You see, the sight of someone affected by blindness is changing completely, there are no areas where the visions is better as for a visual impairment you can see spots or parts of what your vision picks up with a 20/20 vision as others parts are blind or blurred.

Sometimes, you can only see using the peripheral vision but you are unable to see well what is in front of you. Other times, you have a perfect vision when looking straight but you may have no peripheral vision at all or very little.

Sometimes, you need resources or a font on the computer that is among the largest ones available to allow you to read and use the computer. Others will even use Braille.

To help or not to help...that is the question!

Visually impaired people may be affected by what is considered a physical handicap; it does not mean that they cannot do things on their own. Usually, treating a visually impaired person or someone who is blind like they are unable to do anything is a flagrant insult. Being independent in their life and being able to be in charge of it means a lot this person and the first step in the right direction is by addressing to someone in a respectful manner. For example, often someone will introduce a person who is affected by blindness as "the blind man" when in fact it should be "the man who is blind". What is the difference? Simple, nobody likes to be introduced as the "cancer man" as they are not a disease or the physical handicap but they are affected by it.

Also, always let you presence known, introduce yourself and offer your help instead of taking matters in your own hands. This way, you will not be treated as an attacker and being hit or pepper spray for your good intentions. Imagine the stress and the anxiety of the person that you are trying to help out?

You will also be surprised by how much visually impaired people can actually do on their own with the proper resources made available to them. They have the right to being treated respectfully as anyone else. Their rights are not different as there resources may be.

Another common mistake is trying to pet or befriend a guide-dog, especially while on duty. My friend had one and she explained to me the importance of respecting the fact that the dog is on the job. What could be the problem with petting a dog on the job? Well, to put it bluntly, it can make a difference between life and death. You see, while on the job, the dog is trained to be aware of the tiniest detail in its environment to ensure the security of its master but when distracted by something such as petting, he is not able to focus as well and may make a mistake that can cause its master own life.

How do you know when the guide-dog is on the job? If he wears a harness, allow him to do his job properly but when the harness is off, playtime is allowed with, of course, the permission of the owner.

Also, besides the fact that staring at someone is impolite, it is very uncomfortable for the person that realizes they are being stared at. You could be surprised by how well they can live an independent life. Their resources may differ but believe me when I say that the outcome will be the same if not better.

What are the various resources available to visually impaired people?

Well, first you should know that resources vary from one country to the next. Amongst the resources that can be available are: special software, special font size, various colors for writing purposes, magnifying glass, special paper, movies narrated and described to allow visually impaired and people who are blind to enjoy movies as well. You can also find some audio books or even use the services of people reading for them. In some case, the use of Braille and the tools that allow them to write in Braille as well may be required.

Privileged or prejudiced?

You could be surprised to see how many people actually think that visually impaired people benefit from special privileges while in fact, they receive the resources needed to enable them to lead an independent life. In fact, in several countries, visually impaired people suffer from prejudice and discrimination. There even are some of their rights that are denied or barely respected.

Now that you have read all this information, you will be able to not only answer the question: "Does being visually impaired mean that you are blind?" but also explain the difference in all its details.