Page 29 - Autumn 2012

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The figures 6 / 60 or 3 / 60 are how the result of a Snellen test is written. The first number 29
given is the distance in metres from the chart you sit when you read it. Usually this is a
6 (for 6 metres) but would be 3 if you were to sit closer to the chart, i.e. 3 metres away.
The second number corresponds to the number of lines that you are able to read on the
chart. The biggest letters, on the top line, correspond to 60. As you read down the chart, the
numbers that correspond to the lines get smaller, i.e. 36, 18, 12, 9 and 6. The bottom line of the
chart corresponds to the number 6. Someone with standard vision who can read to the bottom
of the chart would have vision of 6 / 6.
For example, a person with standard vision would be able to read the second line on the
chart when 36 metres away. However, if you had a Snellen score of 6 / 36, you would only be
able to read the same line at 6 metres away. In other words you need to be much closer to the
chart to be able to read it. Generally the larger the second number is, the worse your sight is.
With the results of your vision test, the ophthalmologist uses a combination of both your visual
acuity and your field of vision to judge whether you are eligible to be registered, and at which
level. If you have a good visual acuity, you will usually have had to have lost a large part of your
visual field to be registered as severely sight impaired (blind) or sight impaired (partially sighted).
Alternatively, if you have all your visual field, you will usually have to have a very poor
visual acuity to be registered as severely sight impaired (blind) or sight impaired (partially
sighted). Generally, to be registered as severely sight impaired (blind), your sight has to fall into
one of the following categories, while wearing any glasses or contact lenses that you may need:
•visual acuity of less than 3 / 60 with a full visual field.
•visual acuity between 3 / 60 and 6 / 60 with a severe reduction of field of vision, such as
tunnel vision.
•visual acuity of 6 / 60 or above but with a very reduced field of vision, especially if a lot
of sight is missing in the lower part of the field.
To be registered as sight impaired (partially sighted) your sight has to fall into one of the following
categories, while wearing any glasses or contact lenses that you may need:
•visual acuity of 3 / 60 to 6 / 60 with a full field of vision
•visual acuity of up to 6 / 24 with a moderate reduction of field of vision or with a central
part of vision that is cloudy or blurry
•visual acuity of up to 6 / 18 if a large part of your field of vision, for example a whole half
of your vision, is missing or a lot of your peripheral vision is missing.

The following was extracted from an NHS website
The following was extracted from an NHS website
Summary
This publication contains detailed statistics on persons registered with Councils with Adult Social
Services Responsibilities (CASSRs) in England as being blind or partially sighted. The data are
compiled from the triennial SSDA 902 return submitted by councils to the NHS Information Cen-
tre for health and social care.
A decision was made to bring the SSDA 902 collection forward by a year for collection in
2008, due to concerns regarding the fall in the number of people newly registered as blind and
partially sighted between March 2003 and March 2006. This means there will be no collection
in 2009. The CASSR tables in this publication contain information relating to the year ended 31
March 2008.
Registrations
At 31 March 2008, 153,000 people were on the register of blind people, a slight increase of
around 500 (0.3%) from March 2006. There were 10,200 new registrations to the register of
blind people, a fall of 5% compared to 2006.
At 31 March 2008, 156,300 people were on the register of partially sighted people, an in-
crease of 1,100 (0.7%) from March 2006. There were 13,200 new registrations to the register
of partially sighted people, a fall of 8% compared to 2006.