Visual impairments

Myopia

(Nearsightedness)

A condition where a person can see nearby objects clearly, but distant objects may become blurry.

The eye's shape is elongated, causing the focal point of the lens to be offset.

The oblong shape of the eye causes the focal point of refracted light to be inset. The oblong shape of the eye causes the focal point of refracted light to be inset.

See how it looks

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

Most conditions can be corrected with eyeglasses, contacts, or eye surgery.

Normal vision

How it affects UI design

Myopia can cause or exaggerate chromatic aberration. In some cases, corrective lenses can be the cause of exaggerated aberration. Be sensitive to juxtaposing highly saturated reds and blues, as they will create a "vibration" appearance called chromostereopsis. This can be unpleasant and causes text legibility issues.

Users may need to adjust text size in the interface for better legibility.

Sources:

  1. Myopia (nearsightedness). American Optometric Association. https://www.aoa.org/healthy-eyes/eye-and-vision-conditions/myopia
  2. What is Myopia (Nearsightedness)?. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/nearsightedness-myopia
  3. Nearsightedness. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/nearsightedness/symptoms-causes/syc-20375556