Vision Rehabilitation
Contents
This section contains information on vision rehabilitation, including pages on the following topics:
- What to expect from a typical low vision evaluation
- Types of devices used in vision rehabilitation
- Message from the vision rehabilitation team
- Low vision needs assessment
- Driving with a visual impairment assessment
Introduction
Vision rehabilitation encompasses the management of individuals of all ages, who have a congenital or acquired impairment of visual acuity and/or visual field and/or other functionally disabling factors, in the better seeing eye, in which the loss of vision interferes with the process of learning, vocational or avocational pursuits, social interaction, or the activities of daily living. This vision loss cannot be adequately improved by conventional refractive measures.
Vision rehabilitation involves a continuum of care, which begins with medical and surgical intervention and proceeding through to the prescription of low vision devices and vision rehabilitation services. Vision rehabilitation is an intervention intended to maximize the use of residual vision and provide the individual with practical adaptations for their normal activities of daily living and any other desired tasks. As the result of the vision rehabilitation process, the individual will attain the maximum function of their remaining vision, a sense of well being and a personally satisfying level of independence.
Maximum functioning is achieved through the use of optical, non-optical, and/or video magnification devices or by teaching of compensatory non-visual techniques. Vision rehabilitation may be necessitated by any condition, disease or injury that causes a visual impairment serious enough to result in functional limitations or disability. There is no required amount of visual acuity or visual field loss necessary, before an individual can be referred for vision rehabilitation. The process of vision rehabilitation is felt to be more effective if it is started as soon as functional visual difficulties are identified. This will allow the vision rehabilitation team the opportunity to minimize the resultant visual disability and subsequent visual handicap. The vision rehabilitation team may include, but is not limited to, medical, optometric, allied health, social, educational and psychological services.
It will probably be a number of years before macular degeneration falls into the category of a truly preventable disease. Many individuals with macular degeneration currently reach the point where no surgery, treatment or medication can reverse or halt the devastating progression of this disease. The purpose of the vision rehabilitation service is to help these individuals make the most of their remaining vision. To accomplish this, state-of-the-art devices will be employed to improve the quality of life of individuals who have experienced a loss of vision.
The vision rehabilitation service is also actively involved in reevaluating the vision criteria that state transportation and motor vehicle agencies have set for maintaining driving privileges. Studies have been designed that will take advantage of the National Advanced Driving Simulator at the University of Iowa for the safe evaluation of driving skills in drivers with visual field and visual acuity limitations.
Visual loss often causes depression in individuals with macular degeneration. This response lessens the individual's ability to make adaptations for their vision loss. While many low vision programs simply provide a few vision aids, without significant counseling or other instruction, the vision rehabilitation Service of the University of Iowa Center for Macular Degeneration employs and incorporates both psychological and physical rehabilitation in its care of individuals with visual impairments. Individuals with visual impairments are taught to use their remaining visual abilities, much like physical or occupational therapists would help an individual who has suffered from a stroke. By adapting appliances and utilizing low vision devices specifically designed for the needs of the individual, many individuals with visual impairments are able to maintain their independence.
This vision rehabilitation service will continue to develop resources for individuals with visual impairments and their families, including instructional tapes, videos, printed materials, and educational conferences.
To see if you might benefit from vision rehabilitation, you can take a low vision needs assessment or a driving with a visual impairment assessment. You can also learn what to expect from a typical appointment with the vision rehabilitation service.
Types of Visual Impairment that can Benefit from Vision Rehabilitation
Visual impairment affects people at school, on the job, and at home. It makes daily activities like writing, reading, watching television, and walking difficult. Symptoms of low vision include:
- Blurred Vision: Objects appear out of focus. Causes include macular degeneration, diabetes, corneal disease, and cataracts.
- Central Field Loss: A dark or hazy patch appears in the center of objects. Causes include macular degeneration and optic atrophy.
- Contrast Loss and Glare Problems: Objects blend with background: lights are distracting or uncomfortable. Causes include glaucoma, cataracts, corneal disease, and albinism.
- Multiple Field Loss: Dark patches are scattered around objects. Causes include diabetes, glaucoma, retinal detachment and trauma.
- Distortion: Objects appear out of shape, crooked, deformed, wavy, or doubled. Causes include macular degeneration, diabetes, and retinal detachment.
- Tunnel Vision: Objects in the center of the field of vision are visible, but objects on the sides are missing. Causes include glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa, and stroke.
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The University of Iowa Center for Macular Degeneration
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