This article discusses the challenging process of developing a common data set for independent living programs serving older adults who are visually impaired. The three-year project, which included collaborative efforts among many stakeholders that encompass diverse program models, resulted in the development of the Internet-based Nationally…

A study involving 111 adults with blindness examined the impact of watching television science programs with and without audio description. Results indicate respondents gained and retained more information from watching programs with description. They reported that the description makes the program more enjoyable, interesting, and informative.…

The Census Bureau's 1999 Survey of Income and Program Participation found that Internet access and computer use by people with visual impairments is substantially (30 percent) less than that for people with no disabilities. Age, employment, and the presence of additional impairments also affected computer use. Results suggest over a million…

Discusses lack of data on children with visual impairments and development of the National Plan for Training Personnel to Serve Children with Blindness and Low Vision (NPTP) to address personnel shortages and to conduct a needs assessment. The NPTP estimate of 93,000 students with visual impairments is analyzed. (CR)

Discusses the prevalence of people with visual impairment and trends affecting prevalence, including increased overall populations and a growth in the older population, greater ability to preserve lives of high-risk populations, improved fitness, medical advances in prevention, expanding role of computers among other increasing visual demands, and…

Discusses the need for agencies which provide services to people with visual impairments to collect statistics about race and ethnicity to estimate prevalence of visual impairments, create accountability, and design appropriate programs. Current statistics on the racial and ethnic diversity of individuals with visual impairments are provided. (CR)

Based on a 1976 Census Bureau survey and a 1977 National Center for Health Statistics survey, statistics are presented on employment of blind and low vision persons. (CL)

The article presents a statistical brief on the projected numbers of elderly blind and visually impaired persons in the U.S. in the year 2000. Among the projections are that this population will be larger, older, and more predominantly female than it is now. (DLS)

The article reviews and critiques research on numbers of blind and visually handicapped college students. A discussion of the growth of higher education and its importance for employment is followed by analysis of methodological problems that limit the utility of data on rates of growth for this population. (CL)

A national survey of 128 private rehabilitation agencies serving visually impaired persons suggested that the private sector provided a substantial resource for implementation of government programs, although federal funds were a relatively small portion of the total funding. Funding structure differed according to agency size. (CL)

The article reviews statistics on visually handicaped children served under federal special education legislation and suggests reasons for and implications of a low count. Difficulties, especially relating to the visually handicapped population, with the Rand Study of the costs of special education and related services are identified. (CL)

Information from three directories of U.S. postsecondary institutions was analyzed and estimates were made of the percentage of blind and visually handicapped college students, and settings in which they were enrolled special services (such as readers and brailling services) were identified as well as scholarship sources. (CL)

The article identifies federal agencies which have been major sources of data for organizations providing services to blind and visually impaired persons, describes recent and possible changes in data collection and reporting, and cites organizations that watch the changing status of federal disability statistics. (MC)

Through statistical analysis the brief attempts to add to discussion of complex issues involved in the closing by the federal/state/vocational rehabilitation system of over 31,000 cases of persons with legal blindness and other visual impairments during 1980. (MC)

Through the use of surveys, the article discusses the number of noninstitutionalized visually impaired individuals who also have other disabilities. The main finding is that, even excluding many chronic conditions, a majority of severely visually impaired persons have one or more additional impairments. (PHR)