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Northeastern expert says sudden vision loss is devastating for composers and other adults. But there are ways to cope, even thrive.
When Elton John recently revealed the loss of his eyesight, fans wondered if the superstar composer and singer would ever be able to write again.
John said an infection he acquired in July in the South of France left him blind in his right eye, with limited vision in his left eye.
The subject of a documentary, “Elton John: Never Too Late,” set to stream on Disney + Dec. 13, John told Robin Roberts of “Good Morning, America” that going into the studio is difficult because “I can’t see a lyric.”
The loss of eyesight “kind of floored me,” said John, who hopes to recover his vision. For now, he said, “I can’t see anything. I can’t read anything. I can’t watch anything.”
Optometrist Nicole Ross, a Ph.D. student at Northeastern University, says sudden vision loss is a profound shift, even for older adults like the 77–year-old John, who might expect some diminution of eyesight with age.
A specialist in low vision and rehabilitation who is working toward a doctorate in psychology with a focus on measuring visual function in those with permanent vision impairment, Ross talked with Northeastern Global News about the psychological impact of sudden blindness and the tools that help people thrive — even if they never fully recover their eyesight.
The interview has been edited for brevity.
I do see people who’ve had infections. The infection’s been treated and they have vision impairment as a result.
It’s less common. Most of my patients have glaucoma or macular degeneration.
Any structure of the eye could potentially be affected by an infection, from the cornea (keratitis) to the retina (retinitis).
Some infections can be bacterial, viral, some are parasitic, some can be fungal.
There are all different types of causes.
Vision loss can stem from a variety of conditions, each requiring unique approaches to management. Some conditions involve changes to the corneal shape and structure, which can often be mitigated using specialty contact lenses designed to restore functional vision.
In other cases, corneal transplantation has been a transformative breakthrough, offering new hope for individuals with severe corneal damage.
However, many uncorrectable causes of blindness originate in the back of the eye, affecting the retina or optic nerve.
Unlike the common perception that blindness means “no light perception,” this level of total vision loss is rare — only about 0.1% of individuals with blindness experience it.
For many patients, adapting to partial vision loss is a life-changing event.
Explaining their condition to family, friends and society can be challenging. Statements like, “I have some vision; I can do this but not that,” often highlight the nuanced nature of their abilities.
Unfortunately, this can lead to misunderstanding and confusion, as the public may struggle to grasp the complexity of living with partial sight.
Psychologically, it’s a more significant adjustment for an older individual, or any individual when it’s suddenly acquired.
It’s a very significant life change.
In studies where they’ve asked people what top three medical conditions they fear, vision loss is often ranked number one, and if it’s second, it’s second to cancer.
There’s a huge adjustment process because in order to use the remaining vision that you have, you have to do every task differently.
The rehabilitation process is a very long and comprehensive process for people. The challenge that patients face with vision loss is that it’s sort of an invisible disability.
If I look at you, I don’t know if you have vision loss.
We have all kinds of visual assistive equipment, from magnifiers to devices that read aloud to you.
It all depends on what specific task the individual is doing.
What’s really hard for my patients who are musicians is composing. Writing a score is a very visual process.
So a lot of my musician patients are prescribed either very strong reading glasses or even glasses with telescopes in them.
In terms of reading music, there are iPad adjustments like the forScore app that scrolls your music past you in a high-contrast, large format that you can control with a foot pedal or other device.
There are even different optical devices for pianists to see a keyboard better.
Occupational and rehabilitation therapists do home safety evaluations to make sure their stoves and bathrooms have tactile or high-contrast markings.
One issue for a lot of patients with vision loss is contrast — their vision is more washed out. So they need high-contrast markings to identify where things are.
They might also work with an orientation and mobility instructor to learn how to orient themselves and navigate safely.