Sight loss is experienced differently by different people. They go through a process to the Six stages of grief, denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

1. Grief is a normal response to loss during or after a disaster or other traumatic event.
2. A denial is a refusal, and often means a refusal to believe or accept something as the truth.
3. Anger is an emotion characterized by antagonism toward someone or something you feel has deliberately done you wrong.
4. Bargaining is the back and forth process of negotiation in order to make an agreement between two parties.
5. Depression (major depressive disorder) is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act.
6. Acceptance in human psychology is a person’s assent to the reality of a situation, recognizing a process or condition without attempting to change it or protest it.

The challenge is to create a new direction for their lives, recognizing their blindness but at the same time not allowing it to define them. These visually impaired and blind persons are dealing not just with loss of sight, but also with loss of independence and empowerment. They often depend on others to carry out even mundane tasks, such as reading a letter or an email.

It is difficult to undertake this work without incorporating and acknowledging the basic principles of a more person-centred approach, particularly while forging a new relationship with the visually impaired or the blind person.