Journal of Medical Internet Research - International Scientific Journal for Medical Research, Information and Communication on the Internet

PURPOSE. We explored the occupational performance and home safety perspectives of older adults with vision loss. Our study focused on the person–environment interaction to ascertain whether participants’ concerns are addressed by three commonly used home safety assessments. METHOD. Twenty-two older adults with vision loss participated in face-to-face interviews regarding their perspectives on home safety. We compared categories generated from a content analysis of the data with the contents of three standardized home safety assessments. RESULTS. Five categories of home safety emerged from the analysis: (1) lighting, (2) contrast, (3) visual distractions, (4) glare, and (5) compensation strategies. Comparisons of content in the three home safety assessments with emerged categories revealed that study participants had specific concerns about home safety that were not thoroughly addressed in the selected assessments. CONCLUSION. The findings provide preliminary content areas that should be included in the development of a home assessment specific to the low vision population.

Cerebral visual impairment is the leading cause of low vision in children, and functional gains can be achieved with intervention. To date there exists no evidence-based intervention protocol to guide rehabilitation therapists. This scoping review was conducted to synthesize the evidence currently available and explore current interventions in order to guide future research. This review identified five types of interventions for cerebral visual impairment; habilitation, visual stimulation, video game, color tent, and medical and also evidenced the need for standardized, objective measures of function for this population.

OBJECTIVE. We explored how vision loss and comorbid chronic conditions influence occupational therapy intervention by gathering perspectives from occupational therapists treating clients with low vision and from older adults with low vision. METHOD. We surveyed 59 occupational therapists on the frequency of comorbidities in their clients and their influence on low vision intervention. Eight older adults with low vision participated in in-depth interviews and observations on the influence of low vision and comorbidities on their occupational performance. Conclusions reflect data analysis from both methods. RESULTS. The occupational therapists modified low vision interventions to address the added effect of each comorbidity. Modifications included more treatment sessions, home visits, referrals to other professions, and provision of strategies to address comorbidities. The older adults viewed vision loss as a stronger influence than comorbidities on independence in daily occupations. CONCLUSION. Both vision loss and comorbidities influence occupational performance, supporting the need for interventions to address both conditions.

The International Symbol of Access (ISA) is recognized world-wide for designating and identifying areas which are wheelchair accessible, however its meaning has evolved to include both restricted use and universal accessibility. This study seeks to investigate the effectiveness of the ISA in representing individuals of all impairment types. A mixed-method survey was disseminated in the U.S. and internationally to persons without self-identified impairment and individuals of various impairment group types, including mobility, vision, hearing, and cognitive impairments, using convenience sampling (n = 981). Quantitative data was analyzed using ranking patterns and regression analysis. Qualitative data was analyzed using thematic analysis and triangulation. Participants with self-identified mobility impairments rated the ISA more favorably than other disability groups (p = 0.002). In addition, there is a significant correlation between age and effectiveness of the ISA, with participants rating the symbol more favorably as age increases. Common themes included association of the ISA with a mobility impairment, implications for restricted use or reserved space, and physical accessibility. The ISA is not effective in representing individuals with non-mobility impairments and its ambiguous nature leads to confusion for both persons with and without impairment.