Living with an eye condition
If you have vision loss that can't be corrected by treatment or wearing prescription eyeglasses or contact lenses, you might need help making the most of your vision. The kind of support you need will depend on the degree of your impairment.
Being told that you or someone you care for has a vision impairment can be a worrying time, but there are lots of different aids and adjustments to help you make the most of the vision you have. We’ve put together up-to-date information about common eye conditions in adults and children and how best to live with them. We're routinely updating this list to cover different eye conditions, so do check back for new additions.
A – Z of eye conditions
Jargon buster
At Guide Dogs we occasionally use technical language to describe eye conditions that you may not initially understand, but sometimes it’s necessary to provide the full picture and point you towards more resources. If you’re unsure of the meaning of any terms, this glossary will help you to decipher what’s what:
If your vision loss from your eye condition is significant, you may be able to register as having sight loss
Support organisations and useful links
If you're living with a visual impairment, you're likely to need some additional support to manage life at home, work, and getting around. This could help to make your home safer, training in skills for daily living, and guidance on getting around safely.
There are lots of other services and charities that can help:
Edited and reviewed by Susie Baker, Principal Vision Rehabilitation Specialist on 21 May 2025
Guide Dogs is committed to working alongside people with a range of vision impairments, who are registered as either sight-impaired or severely sight-impaired.
Our staff undergo comprehensive training in supporting individuals with vision impairment, to enable us to support you every step of the way through one of our many services, with and without dogs. We foster knowledge of living with vision impairment and create content in collaboration with our Vision Rehabilitation Specialists and Habilitation Specialists.
This content is periodically reviewed as we continue to embrace new knowledge and up-to-date information, in order to improve how we deliver our services and advice.
Please note: Whilst Guide Dogs may be able to suggest various third-party websites which may be able to assist you, those are not endorsed by Guide Dogs. Guide Dogs have no control over those third parties and cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of information and support they can provide or the suitability and quality of any products or services they provide.