What is visual impairment?

Visual impairment refers to a significant, permanent reduction in vision that cannot be fully corrected with glasses or contact lenses. It covers a broad spectrum, from severely reduced visual acuity to complete blindness. Common causes include conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy.

Which digital aids do people with visual impairments use?

People with visual impairments use screen readers that read out content, screen magnification software, high contrast modes, adjustable font sizes, and specialised browser extensions. Braille displays provide tactile output of screen content.

What must an accessible website offer for people with visual impairments?

An accessible website requires sufficient colour contrast, scalable font sizes, meaningful alternative texts for images, clearly structured navigation, and full screen reader compatibility. WCAG Level AA is the legal minimum standard.

Is accessibility for people with visual impairments legally required?

Yes. The European Accessibility Act requires companies with more than 10 employees or over 2 million euros in annual revenue to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA since 28 June 2025. Visual impairment is one of the primary target groups of these requirements.

Visual Impairment

Q: How many people are affected by visual impairment?

According to the WHO, over 2.2 billion people worldwide live with visual impairment or blindness. Because many eye conditions are age-related, the number of people affected continues to grow as life expectancy increases.

19.06.2026

Visual Impairment – Digital Accessibility for People with Low Vision

Visual impairment refers to a significant, permanent reduction in vision that cannot be fully corrected with glasses or contact lenses. According to the WHO, over 2.2 billion people worldwide live with visual impairment or blindness. Because many eye conditions are age-related, the number of people affected continues to grow as life expectancy increases.

For people with visual impairments, the digital world often presents substantial barriers. Websites that are not built accessibly exclude this user group, whether through insufficient contrast, missing alternative texts, non-scalable fonts, or lack of screen reader compatibility. Digital aids determine whether people with visual impairments can use the web independently.

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) has required many businesses across the EU to design their websites and digital services to WCAG 2.1 Level AA since 28 June 2025. Visual impairment is one of the primary target groups these requirements address.

Visual Impairment at a Glance

✓ Definition: Significant, permanent reduction in vision not fully correctable with optical aids
✓ Prevalence: Over 2.2 billion people affected worldwide
✓ Common conditions: Cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy
✓ Digital aids: Screen readers, screen magnification, high contrast, Braille display
✓ Legal: WCAG 2.1 Level AA mandatory under the EAA since June 2025

Types and Causes of Visual Impairment

Visual impairment is not a single condition. The spectrum ranges from severely reduced visual acuity and restricted visual field through to complete blindness. Common eye conditions that can lead to visual impairment include:

✓ Cataract: Clouding of the eye's lens, the world's most common cause of treatable blindness
✓ Glaucoma: Elevated intraocular pressure damages the optic nerve, often causing visual field loss
✓ Age-related macular degeneration (AMD): Damage to the central area of the retina, primarily affecting people over 60
✓ Diabetic retinopathy: Vascular damage to the retina as a complication of diabetes
✓ Congenital visual impairments: Such as amblyopia (lazy eye) or structural eye abnormalities present from birth

Digital Aids for People with Visual Impairments

People with visual impairments and blindness use a range of specialised tools to make digital content accessible. These aids only work reliably, however, if the websites and apps being used are built to the correct technical standards:

✓ Screen readers: Software such as JAWS, NVDA, or VoiceOver reads out screen content and enables keyboard navigation
✓ Screen magnification: Tools such as ZoomText or the operating system's built-in magnifier enlarge content significantly
✓ High contrast mode: Operating system and browser settings increase contrast to the maximum
✓ Braille display: A tactile output device that translates screen content into Braille
✓ Voice control: Enables operation of devices and websites via spoken command

Making Websites Accessible for People with Visual Impairments

For people with visual impairments to use a website independently, specific technical and design requirements must be met. The most important measures at a glance:

✓ Sufficient contrast: WCAG requires a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text (Level AA)
✓ Scalable fonts: Text must be resizable to 200% without loss of functionality
✓ Alternative texts: All informative images require meaningful alternative texts for screen readers
✓ Clear structure: A logical heading hierarchy and landmark regions enable navigation via screen reader
✓ No colour-only information: Colour must not be the sole means of conveying information

SiteCockpit Solution

easyMonitoring: Automatically detect barriers for people with visual impairments

easyMonitoring automatically checks your website for barriers that exclude people with visual impairments: insufficient contrast ratios, missing alternative texts, non-scalable fonts, and lacking screen reader compatibility. You receive a score from 0 to 100, plus a detailed report with exact locations, severity levels, and concrete guidance on how to fix each issue.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Visual Impairment

From what point is someone considered visually impaired?

Definitions vary by country and legal framework. A commonly used benchmark is visual acuity of 30% or less in the better eye with optimal correction, or a significantly restricted visual field. Blindness is typically defined as visual acuity below 2%, or a visual field of less than 5 degrees. The WHO uses its own classification system for international comparison.

Can people with visual impairments use the internet without assistive technology?

This depends on the degree of impairment. People with mild visual impairment can often manage with enlarged text and increased contrast. Those with more severe impairment or blindness require screen readers, Braille displays, and other assistive technologies. What matters most is that websites are built to support these tools technically.

What is the difference between visual impairment and blindness?

Visual impairment and blindness are different degrees of reduced vision. People with visual impairments retain some usable residual vision that can be supported with aids. Blind people have little or no functional vision and rely entirely on non-visual aids such as screen readers and Braille displays. Both groups have distinct needs that accessible websites must address.

Does the easyVision widget help people with visual impairments?

Yes. The easyVision widget offers features that directly support people with visual impairments: font size adjustment, contrast enhancement, saturation adjustment, and more. It complements the website's built-in accessibility measures and can make a significant difference for people with mild to moderate visual impairment, without requiring them to install external assistive software.

Is your website accessible for people with visual impairments?

Have your website automatically checked for barriers affecting users with visual impairments. easyMonitoring delivers a detailed report with precise locations so you can fix issues efficiently.

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