A rare axonal hereditary motor and sensoy neuropathy disease characterized by progressive, peripheral, axonal sensorimotor neuropathy (of variable severity), affecting predominantly the distal lower limbs, associated with progressive, variably severe, optic atrophy, which frequently leads to visual loss. Patients typically present distal limb muscle weakness and atrophy, hypo/areflexia, foot deformities, poor visual acuity (often with a central scotoma), nystagmus, and reduced peripheral and nocturnal vision. Additional reported manifestations include sensorineural hearing loss, major joint contractures, anosmia, scoliosis/lumbar hyperlordosis, cognitive impairment and vocal cord paresis.

Visual impairment (or vision impairment) is vision loss (of a person) to such a degree as to qualify as an additional support need through a significant limitation of visual capability resulting from either disease, trauma, or congenital or degenerative conditions that cannot be corrected by conventional means, such as refractive correction, medication, or surgery.