Introduction: Writing in braille and utilizing writing skills are challenging for students with visual impairments. These students may encounter specific challenges and make errors in their braille writing. This research aims to examine errors in braille writing made by eighth-grade students with visual impairments. Methods: This study employed a…

A retrospective study was carried out to evaluate the paediatric visual impaired population attending the Low Vision Clinic at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, over a period of 14 years. Data were collected and analysed for children less than 17 years for prevalence, demographics, registration status, aetiologies, and types of…

This study compared participants who were congenitally visually impaired and those who became visually impaired later in life in a spatial memory task. The latter showed less efficient visuospatial processes than did the former. However, these differences were of a quantitative nature only, indicating common cognitive mechanisms that can be…

Benign visual hallucinations ("phantom vision") were examined in 2 studies, involving a total of 443 adventitiously blinded and sight-impaired veterans. In one study, unusual visual events were reported by 38.7 percent, with 30.6 percent reporting complex hallucinations. Causes of the hallucinations and their treatment are discussed.…

The study examined the possible existence of a perceptual hierarchy which is systematically affected by the onset of adventitious visual impairment. Results with 80 persons with partial vision indicated a demarcation of difficulty between the simpler and more complex levels of the hierarchy. (DB)

Spatial memory for configurations was studied in 36 congenitally blind, late-blinded, and sighted adults. (Author/DLS)

This article addresses the lack of access to low-vision rehabilitation services by individuals needing them, due to lack of coverage by public or private health insurance. Improved insurance coverage would result in improved access as well as more direct referrals by ophthalmologists, more consumer choice, more timely rehabilitation, reduced…

Presents case studies of three adolescent boys with progressive vision loss who gradually became blind during adolescence. Examines the relationship between the boys' psychological adjustment to their blindness and their acquisition of braille reading skills. (Author)

A nurse educator specializing in diabetes recounts her own experience with vision loss resulting from diabetic retinopathy, considers the roles of rehabilitation specialists and diabetes educators, and urges the two professional groups to work together more closely. (DB)

This study investigated the relationship between perceived family environment and psychological distress among 76 adults with visual impairments of fewer than 4 years duration, who had undergone at least 4 months of rehabilitation classes. Family environmental traits strongly influenced adjustment to vision loss. Distress was positively correlated…

This article describes major issues in teaching Braille to students with acquired visual disability and presents results of a survey of 22 teachers of students with visual impairments in Texas. The survey addressed demographic characteristics, instructional schedules, materials, and instructional methods. Results have implications for development…

The article questions the loss model used to explain a lack of motivation in visually impaired clients. An alternative model proposes that self-efficacy is the primary factor in adjustment, suggesting that early skill-oriented intervention can prevent loss of competence and foster a sense of personal control essential for successful…

This project examined whether the rehabilitation of reading recognition allowed comprehension of print for 38 low vision adults (ages 37-87) who were former readers. The project developed training strategies for enhancing reading comprehension. The paper concludes that instruction in comprehension has value as part of low vision rehabilitation for…