Introduction: The pilot study reported here determined the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary group rehabilitation program, Visually Impaired Elderly Persons Participating (VIPP), on psychosocial functioning. Methods: The single-group pretest-posttest pilot study included 29 persons with visual impairments (aged 55 and older) who were referred…

Macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss in the United States for persons aged 60 and older. Compared to individuals without disabilities, individuals with low vision demonstrate a 15% to 30% higher dependence on others to perform activities of daily living. In addition, low vision can adversely affect a person's quality of life.…

Demographic projections indicate that the population of the Western world is aging, and evidence suggests an increase in the incidence of conditions, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), that produce visual impairments and result in low vision (Maberley et al., 2006). It is expected that in the United States and Canada, the annual…

This interview between Mark Laird, statewide employment specialist with Missouri Rehabilitation Services for the Blind, and Gil Johnson, director of American Foundation for the Blind West, describes an innovative rehabilitation model that forges relationships with businesses and has doubled the number of consumers with visual impairments who find…

This article introduces a group of six papers on sustainability of programs for visually handicapped persons in developing countries. Sustainability is discussed from an anthropological perspective, noting the importance of a social soundness analysis and a social impact assessment, enemies of sustainability, and the need for broad local input in…

This study explored if and how vision rehabilitation services address important life goals of young and middle-aged adults who are visually impaired. It found that services that teach functional skills and offer psychosocial therapeutic-type services were instrumental in addressing life goals and that independence-related goals were most often…

Many questionnaires attempt to assess the quality of life of individuals who are visually impaired (that is, those who are blind or have low vision), but few apply to those who are undergoing visual rehabilitation and hence are difficult to adapt as an outcome measure Massof & Rubin, 2001). The Reading Behavior Inventory (RBI) was developed as…

A study examined the short-term outcomes achieved by 70 older people with visual impairments who received rehabilitation services. Results found rehabilitation services were associated with reduction in the use of medical doctors, reduction in the use of in-home professionals, and increased confidence and increased ease of use in public…

This study of a national sample of elders served by the Independent Living Program for Older Individuals Who Are Blind found that, overall, they were highly satisfied with the quality and timeliness of services and help in achieving independent living goals. A slight improvement was found in their perceptions of functional outcomes from 1999 to…

This article discusses development of the Blind Rehabilitation Services Functional Outcomes Survey during a research project on the rehabilitation of adults with visual impairments. It describes the development process, the methods used in establishing survey reliability and validity, and the results of intermediate analyses of the data. (Contains…

Describes the North Dakota School for the Blind's shift from traditional residential services to an emphasis on an expansive outreach service network that serves the vision-specific needs of students in their local schools. The results of a program survey of 24 educators and parents are discussed. (CR)

This study was designed to assist vocational rehabilitation agencies serving blind and visually impaired persons to identify client characteristics and agency factors and resources associated with the following four client employment outcomes: competitive employment, sheltered workshop employment, homemaking, and non-working. For the study, 469…