Social Exclusion of Students with Visual Impairments at a Tertiary Institution in KwaZulu-Natal

Objectives: People with visual impairment experience exclusion and marginalisation from family; mainstream school; the community and university. The experience of social exclusion is multistructural; multidimensional and complex. This article is based on a study that aimed to describe the social exclusion of students with visual impairment at a tertiary institution where the authors are employed.Design: The study was qualitative. It used an exploratory design to provide compelling data on the insider perspectives of students.Setting and subjects: Fifteen students participated in the study; of whom nine were men and six women. Eleven students were partially sighted and four were blind. All the subjects were from the university where the authors are employed.Results: The study established that participants' exclusion from access to opportunities and development left them psychologically; socially; financially and emotionally scarred.Conclusion: The study established that visual impairment and poverty were related and that women experienced oppression on two counts. The first was because of their disabled status and the second was oppression by other female students at the university. Recommendations are for changes within families; schools; communities and universities

The Ocular Complications of an Envenomous Snakebite

An envenomous snakebite is an important public health problem that can lead to irreversible loss of vision. Snake venom neurotoxins mainly act on the peripheral nervous system at the neuromuscular junction; and result in the implication of the cranial nerves. Consequently; mild neurological symptoms that relate to cephalic muscle paralysis; including exotropia; ptosis; diplopia and ophthalmoplegia; can occur. This happens because the extraocular muscles are especially susceptible to neurological muscular blockage. Other neurological complications of snake venom include accommodation paralysis; optic neuritis; globe necrosis; keratomalacia; uveitis; and loss of vision due to cortical infarction. Haemostatic complications may include subconjuctival haemorrhage; hyphema; and vitreous and retinal haemorrhages. Another rare complication of a snakebite is ocular injury. Snakebite injuries are often accompanied by facial swelling; periorbital ecchymosis; massive subconjuctival haemorrhage; severe corneal oedema and exophthalmos in the affected eye. Unfortunately; such injuries result in permanent loss of vision; as early evisceration is deemed necessary to reduce the amount and effect of the venom in the affected eye. With such a variety of ocular complications as a result of a venomous snakebite; it is important for primary care physicians to have some basic knowledge of the management of these complications; as they may prove to be vital where patients present with a snakebite and possible venom injection in the eye