Section 148 - Seafarers Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1992 – Guide to the Assessment of the Degree of Permanent Impairment Edition 3.0 - Visual impairment exists when there is deviation from any of the normal functions of the eye.

148 Visual impairment exists when there is deviation from any of the normal functions of the eye.

149 Among the types of visual impairment listed below, the first three (Sections 6.1 to 6.3) contribute the most to the overall impairment:

a) Section 6.1 (Central visual acuity);

b) Section 6.2 (Determining loss of monocular visual field);

c) Section 6.3 (Abnormal ocular motility and binocular diplopia);

d) Section 6.4 (Other ocular abnormalities);

e) Section 6.5 (Other conditions causing permanent deformities causing up to 10% impairment of the whole person).

150 Impairments assessed under Chapter 6 – The visual system include those resulting from an endocrine system condition. An impairment assessed under Chapter 3 – The endocrine system may be combined with those assessed under Chapter 6.

151 WPI ratings from Table 4.2: Facial disfigurement (see Chapter 4 – Disfigurement and skin disorders), may not be combined with WPI ratings arising from either:

a) Section 6.4 (Other ocular abnormalities); or

b) Section 6.5 (Other conditions causing permanent deformities causing up to 10% impairment of the whole person).

152 Facial nerve injury complicated by visual changes, such as occurs with corneal desiccation and scarring, rates as a significant impairment. Such an impairment is assessed under Chapter 6 – The visual system and a resulting WPI rating may be combined with a WPI rating from Table 12.5.4: The facial nerve (VII) (see Chapter 12 – The neurological system).

Steps in determining whole person impairment

153 See Figure 6-A for steps in deriving a visual system impairment rating. Use Table 6.1: Conversion of the visual system to WPI rating to convert a visual system impairment rating to a WPI rating.

Figure 6-A: Steps for calculating impairment of the visual system

| Step 1 | Assess and record the percentage loss of central vision for each eye separately, combining the losses of near and distance vision. Refer to Figure 6-C: Percentage loss of central vision in one eye. | | Step 2 | Assess and record the percentage loss of visual fields for each eye separately (monocular) or for both eyes together (binocular). | | Step 3 | Using the combined values chart (see ), combine the results from Step 1 and Step 2 for each eye if any central vision and visual field impairment is present. | | Step 4 | Assess and record the percentage loss of ocular motility. | | Step 5 | Using the combined values chart (see ), combine the result of Step 3 with Step 4 if there is any ocular motility impairment. | | Step 6 | Assess and record the percentage loss if other ocular impairments are present. | | Step 7 | Using the combined values chart (see ), combine the result of Step 5 with Step 6 if any other ocular impairment is present. | | Step 8 | Assess the visual impairment for both eyes. The visual impairment for both eyes is calculated by the formula:<br><br>Alternatively use . | | Step 9 | Convert the visual impairment for both eyes to a WPI rating using . | | Step 10 | Using the combined values chart (see ), combine the result of Step 9 with any impairment (up to 10% maximum) arising from other conditions causing permanent deformities (see ). |

Visual system	%WPI	Visual system	%WPI	Visual system	%WPI	Visual system	%WPI
0	0
1	1	26	25	51	48	76	72
2	2	27	25	52	49	77	73
3	3	28	26	53	50	78	74
4	4	29	27	54	51	79	75
5	5	30	28	55	52	80	76
6	6	31	29	56	53	81	76
7	7	32	30	57	54	82	77
8	8	33	31	58	55	83	78
9	8	34	32	59	56	84	79
10	9	35	33	60	57	85	80
11	10	36	34	61	58	86	81
12	11	37	35	62	59	87	82
13	12	38	36	63	59	88	83
14	13	39	37	64	60	89	84
15	14	40	38	65	61	90	85
16	15	41	39	66	62	91	85
17	16	42	40	67	63	92	85
18	17	43	41	68	64	93	85
19	18	44	42	69	65	94	85
20	19	45	42	70	66	95	85
21	20	46	43	71	67	96	85
22	21	47	44	72	68	97	85
23	22	48	45	73	69	98	85
24	23	49	46	74	70	99	85
25	24	50	47	75	71	100	85

148Visual impairment exists when there is deviation from any of the normal functions of the eye.

Get a plain-English read of 148

6.1 Central visual acuity

Visual system	%WPI	Visual system	%WPI	Visual system	%WPI	Visual system	%WPI
0	0
1	1	26	25	51	48	76	72
2	2	27	25	52	49	77	73
3	3	28	26	53	50	78	74
4	4	29	27	54	51	79	75
5	5	30	28	55	52	80	76
6	6	31	29	56	53	81	76
7	7	32	30	57	54	82	77
8	8	33	31	58	55	83	78
9	8	34	32	59	56	84	79
10	9	35	33	60	57	85	80
11	10	36	34	61	58	86	81
12	11	37	35	62	59	87	82
13	12	38	36	63	59	88	83
14	13	39	37	64	60	89	84
15	14	40	38	65	61	90	85
16	15	41	39	66	62	91	85
17	16	42	40	67	63	92	85
18	17	43	41	68	64	93	85
19	18	44	42	69	65	94	85
20	19	45	42	70	66	95	85
21	20	46	43	71	67	96	85
22	21	47	44	72	68	97	85
23	22	48	45	73	69	98	85
24	23	49	46	74	70	99	85
25	24	50	47	75	71	100	85

Visual system	%WPI	Visual system	%WPI	Visual system	%WPI	Visual system	%WPI
0	0
1	1	26	25	51	48	76	72
2	2	27	25	52	49	77	73
3	3	28	26	53	50	78	74
4	4	29	27	54	51	79	75
5	5	30	28	55	52	80	76
6	6	31	29	56	53	81	76
7	7	32	30	57	54	82	77
8	8	33	31	58	55	83	78
9	8	34	32	59	56	84	79
10	9	35	33	60	57	85	80
11	10	36	34	61	58	86	81
12	11	37	35	62	59	87	82
13	12	38	36	63	59	88	83
14	13	39	37	64	60	89	84
15	14	40	38	65	61	90	85
16	15	41	39	66	62	91	85
17	16	42	40	67	63	92	85
18	17	43	41	68	64	93	85
19	18	44	42	69	65	94	85
20	19	45	42	70	66	95	85
21	20	46	43	71	67	96	85
22	21	47	44	72	68	97	85
23	22	48	45	73	69	98	85
24	23	49	46	74	70	99	85
25	24	50	47	75	71	100	85

Visual system	%WPI	Visual system	%WPI	Visual system	%WPI	Visual system	%WPI
0	0
1	1	26	25	51	48	76	72
2	2	27	25	52	49	77	73
3	3	28	26	53	50	78	74
4	4	29	27	54	51	79	75
5	5	30	28	55	52	80	76
6	6	31	29	56	53	81	76
7	7	32	30	57	54	82	77
8	8	33	31	58	55	83	78
9	8	34	32	59	56	84	79
10	9	35	33	60	57	85	80
11	10	36	34	61	58	86	81
12	11	37	35	62	59	87	82
13	12	38	36	63	59	88	83
14	13	39	37	64	60	89	84
15	14	40	38	65	61	90	85
16	15	41	39	66	62	91	85
17	16	42	40	67	63	92	85
18	17	43	41	68	64	93	85
19	18	44	42	69	65	94	85
20	19	45	42	70	66	95	85
21	20	46	43	71	67	96	85
22	21	47	44	72	68	97	85
23	22	48	45	73	69	98	85
24	23	49	46	74	70	99	85
25	24	50	47	75	71	100	85