Introduction: This study involved a systematic literature review to document the sources behind publications and citations that comprise knowledge about rates of braille usage/literacy among people with visual impairments in the United States. Methods: Predefined search criteria were used to extract publications that potentially mentioned claims…

Introduction: The Israel Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services subsidizes computer-based assistive devices for individuals with visual impairments (that is, those who are blind or have low vision) to assist these individuals in their interactions with computers and thus to enhance their independence and quality of life. The aim of this…

Introduction: Accessibility of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems was tested with a hands-on usability study and an online survey of VoIP users who are visually impaired. The survey examined the importance of common VoIP features, and both methods assessed difficulty in using those features. Methods: The usability test included four paid…

Introduction: Visually impaired students (that is, those who are blind or have low vision) have difficulty accessing curricular material in mathematical textbooks because many mathematics texts have visual images that contain important content information that are not transcribed or described in digital versions of the texts. However, little is…

Introduction: This study analyzed the effects of accommodations for children with low vision in the Griffiths Mental Development Scales--Extended Revised (GMDS-ER). Methods: The sample comprised 25 children with low vision and chronological ages between 28 and 76 months. There were two assessment phases: in the first, the Griffiths Scales were…

A model Center of Excellence in Low Vision and Vision Rehabilitation was created in a health care setting in China utilizing an inter-institutional relationship with a United States optometric institution. Accomplishments of, limitations to, and stimuli to the provision of low vision and vision rehabilitation services are shared.

Telehealth clinical applications, which allow medical professionals to use telecommunications technologies to provide services to individuals remotely, continue to expand in areas such as low vision rehabilitation, where evaluations are provided to patients who live in rural areas. As with face-to-face low vision rehabilitation, the goal of…

Introduction: In this study, executive function of school-aged children with visual impairments (that is, those who are blind or have low vision) is examined in the context of behavioral problems and communicative competence. Methods: Teachers assessed the executive function of a sample of 226 visually impaired students from mainstream schools and…

Introduction: This article, based on a study of 196 teachers of students with visual impairments, reports on the experiences with and opinions related to their decisions about instructing their students who are blind or have low vision in the abacus. Methods: The participants completed an online survey on how they decide which students should be…

Introduction: Time constraints limit the quantity and type of information conveyed in audio description (AD) for films, in particular the cinematic aspects. Inspired by introductory notes for theatre AD, this study developed audio introductions (AIs) for "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Man on Wire." Each AI comprised 10 minutes of…

Introduction: This article reports on a study of 196 teachers who shared their experiences and opinions related to how they were taught to use the Cranmer abacus. Methods: In February and March 2012, the participants completed an online survey to gather information about their preparation in using and beliefs about computation with the Cranmer…

This article describes a case study involving an assistive device that aided a student with low vision registered in the introductory physics course at Trent University in the fall of 2009. His Snellen visual acuity fluctuated significantly, with an average acuity of about 20/400. This low acuity presented obvious difficulties for him with the…

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…

This study was designed to address three hypotheses: (1) The reading speed of both readers of French braille and readers of French print will be faster in the silent condition; however, this gain in speed will be larger for print readers; (2) Individuals who acquired braille before age 10 will display faster reading speeds at lower error rates…

Introduction: This study sought to describe and better understand barriers to accessing low vision rehabilitation services. Methods: A qualitative description research paradigm was employed. Focus group participants were recruited through their involvement in the Montreal Barriers Study in Montreal, Canada. Six focus groups (n = 21 participants)…