Visual impairments

Cataracts

A cataract is when the lens of an eye clouds from protein build-up. Cataracts can emerge later in age, or can be caused by eye injury or other conditions (like glaucoma).

Cataracts disperse light, causing blurred vision, optical glare, and less vibrant color perception.

The clouding of the lens causes light to disperse, resulting in a blurry image projected on the retina. The clouding of the lens causes light to disperse, resulting in a blurry image projected on the retina.

See how it looks

Use the slider to see how varying progression of cataracts can affect a person's vision.

Cataracts can be corrected with surgery.

Normal vision

How it affects UI design

Users may need to increase contrast or lightness of an interface for better legibility. Consider personalization settings to give users the ability to adjust contrast to meet their needs.

WCAG 1.4.4 (Resize text) provides guidance on how to support users with resizable text.

Designing with color vision loss in mind is important. Most issues can be resolved by compliance with WCAG 1.4.1 (use of color) and 1.4.3 (contrast minimum).

When color identification is important to all sighted users, use a color tool to evaluate color difference. Greater color difference increases the chances of color identification with color vision loss, however it is not a guarantee.

Sources:

  1. Cataracts. . https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/cataracts
  2. What are cataracts. American Academy of Opthalmology. https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-are-cataracts