THE NEEDS OF SUBJECTS WITH LOW VISION AND BLINDNESS IN BENIN CITY, EDO STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

The study was undertaken to ascertain the needs of low vision and blindness in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Data were collected from 50 subjects with low vision and blindness through the use of structured questionnaire. Convenience sampling technique was applied in the selection of subjects. The objectives of the study were to examine the socio-demographic factors subjects with low vision and blindness. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the socio-demographic factors of subjects, alongside the needs of subjects with low vision, causes of low vision and challenges faced by subjects with low vision and blindness. Chi-square test was used to test the hypothesis of the study. The mean age of subjects in this study was 38.4years of the 8 classification of age in this study. The result revealed that the major needs of subjects with low vision and blindness were financial needs (24%), rehabilitation (8%), communication (8%), mobility aids (10%), glasses (16%) and braille (8%).The major challenges faced by subjects with low vision and blindness were reading and writing (12%), non-availability of low vision gadgets (16%), societal stigma (32%), finding and keeping a job (8%). The major causes of low vision stated by the subjects were glaucoma (32%), diabetes (16%), refractive error (16%), macular generation (12%), and cataract (8%). The chi-square test revealed that needs has a significant relationship with age (P<0.05) and causes of low vision has a significant relationship with age (P<0.05). The major need of the subjects subjectively was financial needs (18.8%) and objectively the major need were glasses (22.2%). It was hereby recommended that government should improve the services provided to people with visual impairment in accordance with the adaption of services to their needs.