By Elizabeth Larkwor Baah, GNA
Tema, July 9, GNA -Checking one’s sight before the acquisition of a driver’s license under the current reforms initiated by the Drivers and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the Ghana Optometric Association (GOA) is the first requirement for the issuance of a license.
“You must pass your eye test which is now a pre-requisite for the acquisition of a driver’s license,” Dr. Alfred Gardemor, who is a Senior Optometrist at the Nsawam Government Hospital said this at the sixth Ghana News Agency-Tema Regional Office and the Ghana Optometric Association fortnightly public sensitization initiative “GNA-GOA: My Eye! My Vision!
The GNA-GOA: My Eyes! My Vision! The initiative is a collaborative public education advocacy campaign to promote the need for people to access eye care and also to draw attention to vision health.
The initiative also seeks to challenge the public and policymakers to focus on vision as a health issue, which forms a critical component of mankind’s wellbeing but is often neglected.
Speaking on the topic: “Visual acuity and visual fields” Dr. Gardemor said a visual acuity test is an eye exam that checks how well you see the details of a letter or symbol from a specific distance.
He stressed that visual acuity refers to your ability to discern the shapes and details of the things you see. It’s just one factor in your overall vision. Others include color vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception.
On visual field testing, Dr. Gardemor said it is conducted to detect blind spots as it helps to determine if you have blind spots (called scotoma) in your vision and where they are.
“A scotoma’s size and shape can show how eye disease or a brain disorder is affecting your vision. For example, if you have glaucoma, this test helps to show any possible side (peripheral) vision loss from this disease.
“Ophthalmologists also use visual field tests to assess how vision may be limited by eyelid problems such as ptosis and droopy eyelids,” he said.
Dr Gardemor explained that since the eyes are the main component in driving it is very essential to conduct these and other more test for people who intend to acquire a driver’s license or those already driving.
He indicated GOA/DVLA standardized eye test requirements in the acquisition of drivers licenses reforms started in June for people who are applying for a new driver’s license and the second phase would progress with those seeking to renew their current driver’s license when it is due.
Dr Gardemor said the DVLA reform would go a long way to enhance sanity on the roads as the vision was one of the most important senses to have as a driver.
Mr. Francis Ameyibor, GNA-Tema Regional Manager explained that GNA and GOA through “GNA-GOA: My Eyes! My Vision” was to draw attention to vision health.
“We are combining the forces of our professional calling as Optometric Physicians and Communication Experts to reach out to the public with a well-coordinated message.
“We believe such collaboration would serve as a major platform to educate the
public on vision health and also serves as a critical stage for the association to reach out to the world,” Mr. Ameyibor noted.
GNA
