ABSTRACT
According to many surveys, difficulty with reading is the principal concern of people entering low-vision clinics. Low vision is sometimes defined as the inability to read the newspaper at a normal reading distance (40 cm) with best refractive correction. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of low vision in developed countries. A recent study estimated that there are 1.75 million people in the United States with AMD (Eye Diseases Prevalence Research Group, 2004). This number is projected to reach nearly three million by the year 2020. Clinical experience and laboratory research concur in showing that people with damage to the central retina from macular degeneration almost invariably have severe reading problems (Faye, 1984; Fletcher, Schuchard, & Watson, 1999; Legge, Ross, Isenberg, & LaMay, 1992; Legge, Rubin, Pelli, & Schleske, 1985; Whittaker & Lovie-Kitchin, 1993).
