Pub Date : 2022-07-01DOI: 10.1177/0145482X221116642
K. Harpster, Sophia Hamilton, Kelly E. Lusk, Anna M. Seastone, Amy E. Fox, M. Rice, Terry Schwartz
Introduction: Cortical or cerebral visual impairment (CVI) is the leading cause of bilateral visual impairment in developed countries. The goals of this study were to explore the CVI education and training received by occupational therapy practitioners and teachers of students with visual impairments and to quantify the confidence of these professionals to evaluate and work with children who are diagnosed with CVI. Methods: An Internet-based survey was conducted with a volunteer sample that included occupational therapists, certified occupational therapy assistants, and certified teachers of students with visual impairments who practice in 50 U.S. states; Washington, D.C.; and Canada. The survey was posted on professional organizations and social media websites, as well as emailed to colleagues at organizations such as the Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired, schools for students who are blind, and local universities. Data collection occurred between June 2019 and November 2019. Results: Surveys were completed by 205 respondents from 43 U.S. states; Washington, D.C.; and Canada. Occupational therapy practitioners consistently reported lower rates of formal education in CVI, with only 25% of occupational therapists and 47% of certified occupational therapy assistants receiving education on CVI in their academic programs. Less than 23% of occupational therapists received training on CVI assessments, whereas 75% of teachers of students with visual impairments had training in CVI assessments. Additionally, respondents indicated reduced satisfaction with their knowledge and skills for treating or teaching children with CVI. Discussion: The results indicate a gap in formal CVI education for occupational therapy practitioners and, to a lesser extent, teachers of students with visual impairments. Due to the increasingly high prevalence of CVI, the gap in formal education on CVI is significant. Implications for Practitioners: Results indicate the need to increase formal and continuing education for occupational therapy practitioners and teachers of students with visual impairments.
{"title":"Exploring the Need for Education on Cortical Visual Impairment Among Occupational Therapy Professionals and Teachers of Students With Visual Impairments","authors":"K. Harpster, Sophia Hamilton, Kelly E. Lusk, Anna M. Seastone, Amy E. Fox, M. Rice, Terry Schwartz","doi":"10.1177/0145482X221116642","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482X221116642","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: Cortical or cerebral visual impairment (CVI) is the leading cause of bilateral visual impairment in developed countries. The goals of this study were to explore the CVI education and training received by occupational therapy practitioners and teachers of students with visual impairments and to quantify the confidence of these professionals to evaluate and work with children who are diagnosed with CVI. Methods: An Internet-based survey was conducted with a volunteer sample that included occupational therapists, certified occupational therapy assistants, and certified teachers of students with visual impairments who practice in 50 U.S. states; Washington, D.C.; and Canada. The survey was posted on professional organizations and social media websites, as well as emailed to colleagues at organizations such as the Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired, schools for students who are blind, and local universities. Data collection occurred between June 2019 and November 2019. Results: Surveys were completed by 205 respondents from 43 U.S. states; Washington, D.C.; and Canada. Occupational therapy practitioners consistently reported lower rates of formal education in CVI, with only 25% of occupational therapists and 47% of certified occupational therapy assistants receiving education on CVI in their academic programs. Less than 23% of occupational therapists received training on CVI assessments, whereas 75% of teachers of students with visual impairments had training in CVI assessments. Additionally, respondents indicated reduced satisfaction with their knowledge and skills for treating or teaching children with CVI. Discussion: The results indicate a gap in formal CVI education for occupational therapy practitioners and, to a lesser extent, teachers of students with visual impairments. Due to the increasingly high prevalence of CVI, the gap in formal education on CVI is significant. Implications for Practitioners: Results indicate the need to increase formal and continuing education for occupational therapy practitioners and teachers of students with visual impairments.","PeriodicalId":47438,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness","volume":"116 1","pages":"451 - 460"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49104489","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-01DOI: 10.1177/0145482X221116903
Sajja Koirala, Brett Oppegaard
Introduction: American media-accessibility pioneers in the 1970s and 1980s not only sparked interest in the academic study of audio description, they also originated many practical techniques, protocols, theoretical perspectives, guidelines, and standards that persist in the fabric of this type of work decades later. In this study, we located and analyzed source documents for two oft-mentioned innovators—Gregory Frazier and Margaret Pfanstiehl—to shine light on their individual perspectives through a historiography of their foundational writings and associated media. Method: This analysis was conducted on publicly available source documents, such as Frazier’s landmark thesis and also included a trove of Pfanstiehl’s personal correspondence, as a way to establish particular points of theoretical and historical interest. Results: We found that despite the prominent place of Frazier and Pfanstiehl in audio description lore, neither actually published much writing about what they did and why they did it. Some of what they wrote has been selectively repeated, but other parts have been forgotten. In that respect, this research method could be used to more precisely trace and identify where particular practices emerged, under which theoretical perspectives, and complications. It also can help to show how these ideas were documented and tested during their emergence and domestication, as a way to gauge procedural rigor as well as validity of related findings. Discussion: Audio description scholarship needs theoretical anchors, but it also needs systematic testing of assumptions inherent in those theoretics, which this study helps to identify. Implications for Practitioners: Audio describers invariably will encounter the moment when an assertion of “this is the way we do it” collides with the curiosity of “why?” To promote best practices, the field has to understand where practices came from, how they developed, and as Frazier recommended, put those ideas to “objective” tests.
{"title":"The Light Bulb Went on: A Historiography-Based Approach to Disentangling Audio Description’s Influential U.S. Roots From Its Common Practices","authors":"Sajja Koirala, Brett Oppegaard","doi":"10.1177/0145482X221116903","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482X221116903","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: American media-accessibility pioneers in the 1970s and 1980s not only sparked interest in the academic study of audio description, they also originated many practical techniques, protocols, theoretical perspectives, guidelines, and standards that persist in the fabric of this type of work decades later. In this study, we located and analyzed source documents for two oft-mentioned innovators—Gregory Frazier and Margaret Pfanstiehl—to shine light on their individual perspectives through a historiography of their foundational writings and associated media. Method: This analysis was conducted on publicly available source documents, such as Frazier’s landmark thesis and also included a trove of Pfanstiehl’s personal correspondence, as a way to establish particular points of theoretical and historical interest. Results: We found that despite the prominent place of Frazier and Pfanstiehl in audio description lore, neither actually published much writing about what they did and why they did it. Some of what they wrote has been selectively repeated, but other parts have been forgotten. In that respect, this research method could be used to more precisely trace and identify where particular practices emerged, under which theoretical perspectives, and complications. It also can help to show how these ideas were documented and tested during their emergence and domestication, as a way to gauge procedural rigor as well as validity of related findings. Discussion: Audio description scholarship needs theoretical anchors, but it also needs systematic testing of assumptions inherent in those theoretics, which this study helps to identify. Implications for Practitioners: Audio describers invariably will encounter the moment when an assertion of “this is the way we do it” collides with the curiosity of “why?” To promote best practices, the field has to understand where practices came from, how they developed, and as Frazier recommended, put those ideas to “objective” tests.","PeriodicalId":47438,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness","volume":"116 1","pages":"461 - 472"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42542530","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-01DOI: 10.1177/0145482x221117163
C. Shupin, Brenda Naimy, N. Casias
Over the last decade, many local education agencies (LEAs) across California imposed significant restrictions on community-based orientation and mobility (O&M) instruction. Administrators from these LEAs prohibited O&M Specialists from transporting students off-campus for instruction, with one large Southern California district going so far as to direct O&M specialists to rewrite existing IEP goals that required transportation. Consequently, students who attended schools governed by these LEAs were denied access to the community-based O&M instruction to which they were entitled under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004), known as IDEA. Orientation and mobility specialists in both Northern and Southern California LEAs attempted various advocacy efforts within their districts, including educating administrators on the legal rights of their students to communitybased instruction, as well as submitting letters of support from the California Association of Orientation & Mobility Specialists (CAOMS). These unsuccessful advocacy efforts within individual LEAs led to the recognition that a statewide approach would be needed. In 2017, CAOMS and the California Council of the Blind (CCB) partnered to start a grassroots movement to resolve the problem. They succeeded in passing a law entitled “Expanded core curriculum: visually impaired pupils,” (AB-947, 2019), amending California’s Education Code. This law affirms the rights of students with visual impairments to community-based evaluation and instruction as needed in both familiar and unfamiliar environments, in “varying lighting conditions,” and outside of school hours, with transportation to support these services. It also authorizes LEAs to consider elements of the expanded core curriculum (ECC) when developing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). This report describes our procedures, which can serve as a model for other
{"title":"Advocating for Off-Campus Orientation and Mobility Instruction in California: A Successful Grassroots Movement","authors":"C. Shupin, Brenda Naimy, N. Casias","doi":"10.1177/0145482x221117163","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482x221117163","url":null,"abstract":"Over the last decade, many local education agencies (LEAs) across California imposed significant restrictions on community-based orientation and mobility (O&M) instruction. Administrators from these LEAs prohibited O&M Specialists from transporting students off-campus for instruction, with one large Southern California district going so far as to direct O&M specialists to rewrite existing IEP goals that required transportation. Consequently, students who attended schools governed by these LEAs were denied access to the community-based O&M instruction to which they were entitled under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004), known as IDEA. Orientation and mobility specialists in both Northern and Southern California LEAs attempted various advocacy efforts within their districts, including educating administrators on the legal rights of their students to communitybased instruction, as well as submitting letters of support from the California Association of Orientation & Mobility Specialists (CAOMS). These unsuccessful advocacy efforts within individual LEAs led to the recognition that a statewide approach would be needed. In 2017, CAOMS and the California Council of the Blind (CCB) partnered to start a grassroots movement to resolve the problem. They succeeded in passing a law entitled “Expanded core curriculum: visually impaired pupils,” (AB-947, 2019), amending California’s Education Code. This law affirms the rights of students with visual impairments to community-based evaluation and instruction as needed in both familiar and unfamiliar environments, in “varying lighting conditions,” and outside of school hours, with transportation to support these services. It also authorizes LEAs to consider elements of the expanded core curriculum (ECC) when developing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). This report describes our procedures, which can serve as a model for other","PeriodicalId":47438,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness","volume":"116 1","pages":"546 - 551"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43579213","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-01DOI: 10.1177/0145482X221120265
Michael Tuttle, E. Carter
Introduction: “High-tech” assistive technology (AT) plays a critical role in the lives and educational experiences of students with visual impairments (i.e. those who are blind or have low vision). However, little is known about how these students actually use AT within their educational programs. Methods: A survey examining AT use and services among 51 students with visual impairments addressed their personal characteristics, device characteristics, device usage, AT assessment, and AT instruction. In addition, 12 teachers provided perspectives on their district's AT services and policies. Results: Students primarily used commercially available AT to access print. Some variations in use were found between elementary and secondary students. Instruction of devices was highly aligned with students’ device use. Discussion: High-tech AT can meet diverse needs among students with visual impairments. Individualization of AT selection and services remains essential. Implications for Practitioners: Educators should consider AT for a broad range of student needs, promote device use at home, reflect on their instruction, and pursue professional development in this area.
{"title":"Examining High-Tech Assistive Technology Use of Students With Visual Impairments","authors":"Michael Tuttle, E. Carter","doi":"10.1177/0145482X221120265","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482X221120265","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: “High-tech” assistive technology (AT) plays a critical role in the lives and educational experiences of students with visual impairments (i.e. those who are blind or have low vision). However, little is known about how these students actually use AT within their educational programs. Methods: A survey examining AT use and services among 51 students with visual impairments addressed their personal characteristics, device characteristics, device usage, AT assessment, and AT instruction. In addition, 12 teachers provided perspectives on their district's AT services and policies. Results: Students primarily used commercially available AT to access print. Some variations in use were found between elementary and secondary students. Instruction of devices was highly aligned with students’ device use. Discussion: High-tech AT can meet diverse needs among students with visual impairments. Individualization of AT selection and services remains essential. Implications for Practitioners: Educators should consider AT for a broad range of student needs, promote device use at home, reflect on their instruction, and pursue professional development in this area.","PeriodicalId":47438,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness","volume":"116 1","pages":"473 - 484"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41891829","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-01DOI: 10.1177/0145482x221124178
S. Lewis
Readers who subscribe to the print issue of the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB) may have been tempted to offer their postal carrier some sympathy for having had to carry the giant-sized March-April 2022 issue to their mailboxes. At 176 pages, it was by far the longest, most dense, issue that the journal has published in a long time. Even the fingers of scrolling online readers, reviewing the table of contents, no doubt were fatigued by the time its end was reached. What a great summer treat to have that issue arrive just when work was slowing down a bit. And, if you haven’t already noticed, this July–August 2022 issue brings more of the same—15 research and practice articles from which to select the ones that best match your need for professional growth. There are plenty of research and practice papers in this issue, which offers double the opportunities to learn about any number of topics. Two articles on assistive technology: Tuttle and Carter describe the results of their survey of teachers of students with visual impairments about assistive technology use among their students; Booths has explored this same subject from the perspective of students. Two articles on orientation and mobility: Ambrose-Zakin’s research report focuses on a device designed to improve independent walking in young children with visual impairments and Rashid and colleagues focus on their findings of a study that compared postural sway in women with and without visual impairments. Two articles on assessment: of glare evaluation by Maffit et al. and of cognition using a haptic nonverbal approach by Cassar et al. Two papers related to tactile graphics: Gupta et al.’s study demonstrating that tactile shapes can be used to facilitate encoding of new information and their suggestions for design strategies for tactile materials; design strategies for tactile graphics are also a topic that Wu et al. also explore. There are two Practice Reports of specific interest to rehabilitation therapists: one by Farrow on using knitting and crocheting to create social connections and one by Moffitt et al. on the value of developing and using a comprehensive resource list. Finally, two articles on personnel preparation are included: one by Probst and Morgan describing a national intervenor training project and another by Harpster exploring the need for training in cortical visual impairment by teachers of students with visual impairments and occupational therapists. Other informative articles include one by McDonnall and colleagues on the earnings of people with visual impairments, a historiography on audio-description by Koirala and Oppegaard, and a description of successful advocacy efforts by professionals in California to improve access to off-campus orientation and mobility instruction by Shupin et al. Why the sudden explosion of papers published in JVIB? When SAGE first began publishing the journal in 2018, a strict limit on the number of pages that each issue could co
{"title":"As JVIB Publishes Another Double Issue Teaming With Research and Practice, Everybody Wins","authors":"S. Lewis","doi":"10.1177/0145482x221124178","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482x221124178","url":null,"abstract":"Readers who subscribe to the print issue of the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB) may have been tempted to offer their postal carrier some sympathy for having had to carry the giant-sized March-April 2022 issue to their mailboxes. At 176 pages, it was by far the longest, most dense, issue that the journal has published in a long time. Even the fingers of scrolling online readers, reviewing the table of contents, no doubt were fatigued by the time its end was reached. What a great summer treat to have that issue arrive just when work was slowing down a bit. And, if you haven’t already noticed, this July–August 2022 issue brings more of the same—15 research and practice articles from which to select the ones that best match your need for professional growth. There are plenty of research and practice papers in this issue, which offers double the opportunities to learn about any number of topics. Two articles on assistive technology: Tuttle and Carter describe the results of their survey of teachers of students with visual impairments about assistive technology use among their students; Booths has explored this same subject from the perspective of students. Two articles on orientation and mobility: Ambrose-Zakin’s research report focuses on a device designed to improve independent walking in young children with visual impairments and Rashid and colleagues focus on their findings of a study that compared postural sway in women with and without visual impairments. Two articles on assessment: of glare evaluation by Maffit et al. and of cognition using a haptic nonverbal approach by Cassar et al. Two papers related to tactile graphics: Gupta et al.’s study demonstrating that tactile shapes can be used to facilitate encoding of new information and their suggestions for design strategies for tactile materials; design strategies for tactile graphics are also a topic that Wu et al. also explore. There are two Practice Reports of specific interest to rehabilitation therapists: one by Farrow on using knitting and crocheting to create social connections and one by Moffitt et al. on the value of developing and using a comprehensive resource list. Finally, two articles on personnel preparation are included: one by Probst and Morgan describing a national intervenor training project and another by Harpster exploring the need for training in cortical visual impairment by teachers of students with visual impairments and occupational therapists. Other informative articles include one by McDonnall and colleagues on the earnings of people with visual impairments, a historiography on audio-description by Koirala and Oppegaard, and a description of successful advocacy efforts by professionals in California to improve access to off-campus orientation and mobility instruction by Shupin et al. Why the sudden explosion of papers published in JVIB? When SAGE first began publishing the journal in 2018, a strict limit on the number of pages that each issue could co","PeriodicalId":47438,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness","volume":"116 1","pages":"449 - 450"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42281271","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-01DOI: 10.1177/0145482X221120022
Autumn L. Booths
Students who have visual impairments (i.e., those who are blind or have low vision) have additional difficulties accessing educational materials as compared to their typically sighted peers. Research indicates a principal barrier faced by children who are visually impaired is that educational materials are not being provided on a consistent basis in the students’ preferred reading format (Opie, 2018). It is important for students who have visual impairments to be provided curriculum via instructional modifications or assistive technology to support their unique and individual learning needs. Assistive technology promotes increased independence for students who are visually impaired, regardless of their ability level, and enables them to perform tasks that would otherwise have been difficult or impossible to perform (Allman & Lewis, 2014). According to Smith and Kelley, teacher preparation programs “have an obligation to train teachers in the necessary knowledge, skills, and motivation to provide a bridge between students and technology” (2007, p. 429). Allman and Lewis (2014) report that teachers of students with visual impairments need to be prepared to teach their students assistive technology skills that are both general and device-specific, depending on the student’s needs. These skills are necessary to allow for students’ full participation in their education, employment, and daily life. However, devices can become an additional obstacle for students with a visual impairment to overcome if they are not trained and educated in the use of appropriate assistive technology. Research suggests teachers of students with visual impairments are receiving limited training in assistive technology, and the evaluation process for assistive technology during their teacher preparation programs. It is noted that, as early as 1990, teachers of students with visual impairments lacked confidence in their ability to successfully teach assistive technology; these problems persist nearly two decades later (Abner & Lahm, 2002; Parker et al., 1990; Smith & Kelley, 2007). If teachers of students with visual impairments are not confident in their abilities regarding assistive technology, students will continue to receive services that are not meeting their needs. Despite the lack of a standard assistive technology evaluation, there are various tools that may be utilized to help guide assistive
{"title":"Perceptions of High-Tech Assistive Technology Held by Students With Visual Impairments","authors":"Autumn L. Booths","doi":"10.1177/0145482X221120022","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482X221120022","url":null,"abstract":"Students who have visual impairments (i.e., those who are blind or have low vision) have additional difficulties accessing educational materials as compared to their typically sighted peers. Research indicates a principal barrier faced by children who are visually impaired is that educational materials are not being provided on a consistent basis in the students’ preferred reading format (Opie, 2018). It is important for students who have visual impairments to be provided curriculum via instructional modifications or assistive technology to support their unique and individual learning needs. Assistive technology promotes increased independence for students who are visually impaired, regardless of their ability level, and enables them to perform tasks that would otherwise have been difficult or impossible to perform (Allman & Lewis, 2014). According to Smith and Kelley, teacher preparation programs “have an obligation to train teachers in the necessary knowledge, skills, and motivation to provide a bridge between students and technology” (2007, p. 429). Allman and Lewis (2014) report that teachers of students with visual impairments need to be prepared to teach their students assistive technology skills that are both general and device-specific, depending on the student’s needs. These skills are necessary to allow for students’ full participation in their education, employment, and daily life. However, devices can become an additional obstacle for students with a visual impairment to overcome if they are not trained and educated in the use of appropriate assistive technology. Research suggests teachers of students with visual impairments are receiving limited training in assistive technology, and the evaluation process for assistive technology during their teacher preparation programs. It is noted that, as early as 1990, teachers of students with visual impairments lacked confidence in their ability to successfully teach assistive technology; these problems persist nearly two decades later (Abner & Lahm, 2002; Parker et al., 1990; Smith & Kelley, 2007). If teachers of students with visual impairments are not confident in their abilities regarding assistive technology, students will continue to receive services that are not meeting their needs. Despite the lack of a standard assistive technology evaluation, there are various tools that may be utilized to help guide assistive","PeriodicalId":47438,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness","volume":"116 1","pages":"558 - 562"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49069752","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-01DOI: 10.1177/0145482X221124186
Ethan Waisberg, Joshua Ong, P. Paladugu, Nasif Zaman, Sharif Amit Kamran, Andrew Lee, A. Tavakkoli
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness and is diagnosed as early-stage or late-stage. Early-stage AMD is usually asymptomatic and entails pigmentary changes in the retina (Ayoub & Patel, 2009). As the disorder progresses, there are atrophic or neovascular changes that distort vision, especially the central visual field (Ayoub & Patel, 2009). There are several genetic and nongenetic risk factors for AMD and no proven therapy to slow or reverse late-stage atrophic AMD, although anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) has effectively treated latestage neovascular AMD. Several genes of interest have also been investigated thoroughly thus far in their connection to AMD and the complement factor H (CFH) and age-related maculopathy susceptibility 2 (ARMS2) genes have shown promise in understanding the genetic basis of the disorder (Awh et al., 2013). There are other epigenetic and environmental factors as well including smoking and low antioxidant levels (Cano et al., 2010). Ongoing investigations include antioxidant supplementation and a smoking cessation regimen to reverse earlystage AMD (Cano et al., 2010). Progress in treating AMD as a disorder across its varied stages requires newer therapeutics along with a more detailed understanding of the genetic and cellular pathways of pathophysiology is needed to better counter this prevalent disorder of the eye.
{"title":"Optimizing Screening for Preventable Blindness With Head-Mounted Visual Assessment Technology","authors":"Ethan Waisberg, Joshua Ong, P. Paladugu, Nasif Zaman, Sharif Amit Kamran, Andrew Lee, A. Tavakkoli","doi":"10.1177/0145482X221124186","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482X221124186","url":null,"abstract":"Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness and is diagnosed as early-stage or late-stage. Early-stage AMD is usually asymptomatic and entails pigmentary changes in the retina (Ayoub & Patel, 2009). As the disorder progresses, there are atrophic or neovascular changes that distort vision, especially the central visual field (Ayoub & Patel, 2009). There are several genetic and nongenetic risk factors for AMD and no proven therapy to slow or reverse late-stage atrophic AMD, although anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) has effectively treated latestage neovascular AMD. Several genes of interest have also been investigated thoroughly thus far in their connection to AMD and the complement factor H (CFH) and age-related maculopathy susceptibility 2 (ARMS2) genes have shown promise in understanding the genetic basis of the disorder (Awh et al., 2013). There are other epigenetic and environmental factors as well including smoking and low antioxidant levels (Cano et al., 2010). Ongoing investigations include antioxidant supplementation and a smoking cessation regimen to reverse earlystage AMD (Cano et al., 2010). Progress in treating AMD as a disorder across its varied stages requires newer therapeutics along with a more detailed understanding of the genetic and cellular pathways of pathophysiology is needed to better counter this prevalent disorder of the eye.","PeriodicalId":47438,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness","volume":"116 1","pages":"579 - 581"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42699702","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-01DOI: 10.1177/0145482x221124183
Anthony R. Candela
{"title":"The Struggle: A Necessary Component of Disability Freedom","authors":"Anthony R. Candela","doi":"10.1177/0145482x221124183","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482x221124183","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":47438,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness","volume":"116 1","pages":"582 - 584"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2022-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45789486","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-07-01DOI: 10.1177/0145482X221120021
M. Rashid, Sherin Siby, Sandeep P. H., Anoop Joy, A. Gopi, Jerin Mathew, K. Raja
Introduction: Comparison of sway parameters of visually impaired participants to that of the sighted population may give insight into the intrinsic risk of falls relative to the surface. Sway is a natural mechanism to adjust the posture and maintain balance. But the sway characteristics on uneven surfaces are ill explored. There is a paucity of evidence on baseline values of sway amplitude in visually impaired women in comparison to sighted women, which underpins the importance of this study. Methods: Eighteen visually impaired young women and an equal number of age-matched sighted peers were recruited by convenience to this prospective observational study. Sway amplitude of the participants were measured using a sway meter on three different surfaces, with eyes opened and closed conditions, using videography and analyzed using Kinovea motion analyzing software. Demographics and participant characteristics were summarized using descriptive statistics. The comparison were performed using independent sample t-test. Results: Visually impaired women demonstrated lower amplitude of sway than sighted young women, irrespective of the surface. Discussion: There was a gradual increase in sway amplitude as the standing surfaces changed from even to sand and pebbles, respectively, for both groups. Implications for Practitioners: Contrary to the existing evidence, the results of this study indicate that visually impaired young individuals may not be not at higher intrinsic risk of falls on various terrains than their sighted peers. The authors hypothesize that the lower sway among visually impaired participants can be attributed to the learned strategy for safety from exposure to real-life pragmatic environments during everyday activities, which enabled them to adopt postural strategies as a safety measure. Hence, this strategy can potentially be used in dynamic situations to decrease the propensity for falls during ambulation in visually impaired individuals.
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