Abstract :
Aim: The study was done to know demographic patterns, causative factors in visually disabled persons residing in Gadag, Karnataka.
Materials and Methods: It is a retrospective study. Both male and female visually disabled people who attended low vision clinic for disability certificate were included even if they had multiple disability. Visual disability < 30>
Results: Total 323 persons were included. 214 (66%) were male, 109(34%) were female persons. Mean age was 37.52 years. Age < 15> 45 years were 101 (31%). 77(24%) belong to the general category, 198(61%) belong to other backward castes, and 48 (15%) belong to sc/st. Among the persons > 15 years, 43 (15%) graduated and 65(23%) were illiterates. Majority (45%) are unemployed. Among the ones who are employed mainly work as music teachers and agricultural coolies.258 (80%) belong to BPL. 255(79%) did not have any comorbidities. 157(49%) had complete blindness. 52% were blind and 48% were belong to low vision category. Refractive errors and retinal pathology were together constituting 54% of the cases. Congenital and hereditary cases constituted 75% of the cases. Visual acuity was alone affected in 36(11%) cases visual fields alone in 15(5%) cases, and both were affected in 271(84%) cases.
Conclusion: Visually disabled persons in our study showed male preponderance. Few were employed as music artists and teachers and majority were illiterates refractive errors and retinal pathology were major reasons.
Keyword :
Low vision, Visual disability.