Tests show adults and teenagers who are born deaf can see better

The study published today found that by the time they reach the age of 13 people who are born deaf react more quickly to objects in their peripheral vision than those who can hear.

Up to the age of 10, however, deaf children actually have less peripheral vision than youngsters with hearing, the Sheffield University research discovered.

A hearing charity said the results suggested deaf people could be better at jobs which rely on reacting quickly to visual stimulus such as sports referees, teachers and CCTV operators.

The study, which was funded by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), involved scientists testing, for the first time, how peripheral vision develops in deaf people.

Dr Charlotte Cordina, who undertook the study as part of a PhD in ophthalmology and othoptics, said: "We found that deaf children see less peripherally than hearing children, but typically go on to develop better than normal peripheral vision by adulthood.

"Important vision changes are occurring as deaf children grow up and one current theory is that they have not yet learnt to focus their attention on stimuli in the periphery until their vision matures at the age of 11 or 12.

"As research in this area continues, it will be interesting to identify factors which can help deaf children to make this visual improvement earlier."

The study tested profoundly deaf children aged between five and 15 by monitoring how eye movements responded to lights on the edge of their vision.

The RNID's research programme manager, Dr Joanna Robinson, said: "This research shows that adults who have been deaf since birth may have advantages over hearing people in terms of their range of vision. For example, deaf people could be more proficient in jobs which depend on the ability to see a wide area of activities and respond quickly to situations, such as sports referees, teachers or CCTV operators.

"On the other hand, the findings suggest that parents of deaf children need to be aware that their child's initially delayed reaction to peripheral movements may mean that they are slower to spot and avoid potential dangers such as approaching traffic."