Vol. 13 June 2005

Dear Readers,

Dear Readers, We thank you very much for your encouragement and support offered for this past one year.
Today this website is being accessed by 1300 users from 105 countries all over the world. We are working our best to turn out this website become the website for management resources in eye care.
As we are bringing out each issue of SiteNews featuring a specific eye disease, we take you to a detailed exploration on the various resources available on the topic featured from our website. All these resources make you clearer on the managing issues of the particular topic.
The theme for this issue is “Low Vision”. Taking inspiration from this theme we have decided to focus this issue on management resources related to Low Vision.
We look forward to your continuous support of our website as well as recommendation of materials that we can add to this storehouse of management resources in eye care. With your support this resource site will continue to grow and be of relevance!

Happy Reading!
Regards,
Vision 2020 e-resource team
Understand the problem

Resources

Strategies

Talk to Us

Past Issues
 Solution

Barriers

Collaborating Partner

Contribute

Register
A summary of the current situation


Low Vision is a bilateral impairment to vision that significantly impairs the functioning of the patient and cannot be adequately corrected with medical, surgical, therapy, conventional eyewear or contact lenses.

It is often a loss of sharpness or acuity but may present as a loss of field of vision, light sensitivity, distorted vision or loss of contrast.

Low vision often may occur as a result of birth defects, injury, and the aging process or as a complication of disease. Low Vision services do not cure the cause of the vision problem but rather utilize the remaining vision to its fullest potential.

Low vision care does not replace the need for other concurrent treatments such as laser, medication and surgery. Low vision doctors prescribe prescription eyewear, filters, microscopic - telescopic eyewear, magnifiers, adaptive equipment, closed circuit television systems, independent living aids, training and counsel patients.



Understand the Problem

In order the achieve the VISION 2020 objective of eliminating the main causes of avoidable blindness by the year 2020, and to give all people the right to sight an understanding of Low Vision problem is essential.

This means one should know:
  1. Magnitude – incidence and prevalence of low vision
  2. Social and economic magnitude
  3. Clinical aspects, in terms of what causes the disorder, what are the various ways to treat etc.
  4. We need to know the current status of the problem
The following resources provide you a brief understanding of the problem in Low Vision service. It also provides you with links to the most current information and resources you need to address the problem.

Resources

Social and Economic Impact
  • LOW VISION MANAGEMENT
    Abstract:
    This article provides an introduction to low vision management and rehabilitation. It details the ways in which low vision can be evaluated, describes the various ocular conditions that can benefit from low vision aids and provides information on how each should be treated.

Clinical Aspects (Causes and Types):
  • VISIUAL REHABLITATION SERVICES
    Abstract:
    This booklet provides information on low vision aids, visual rehabilitation intervention, types of magnification, magnifying lenses used by low vision, rehabilitation services, vision rehabilitation centers etc.
  • FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON LOW VISION
    Abstract:
    This is a set of queries that a patient may ask their Rehabilitational Counsellor and Ophthalmologists for more clearance on the disorder they are having.
  • “RUNNING LIGHTS” – A USE IN OPHTHALMOLOGY
    Abstract:
    This article explains how common decorative lights can be used in vision exercises to help children who do not have visual fixation.

Current status:
  • LOW VISION CARE: THE NEED TO MAXIMIZE VISUAL POTENTIAL
    Abstract:
    This article briefly defines the low vision problem, the current magnitude of the problem, and the currently used low vision and blindness data
    Source:
    Ramachandra Pararajasegaram FRCS FRCP FRCOphth from Journal of Community Eye Health



Solution
Having identified the problem, we need to identify the solution for the problem. This is in the form of various interventions at the clinical level, preventive and curative care and also at examining what we have to do at the community level to educate the people.
Besides knowing the solutions rather we need to have standardized well-defined indicators or benchmarks for all these interventions made and also find out the success of the outcome. The main subject matter covered under this area is:
1. Interventions (Clinical and Community)
2. Outcome Benchmarks
Hence we provide various articles under these topics which instruct one to have clear idea on the solutions and interventions ever done in this focus of Low Vision Care service delivery.

Resources:

Clinical:

Preventive Interventions:



Curative Interventions:

Community:
  • RESOURCE GUIDE FOR PERSONS WITH LOW VISION
    Abstract:
    This book provides details on the low vision centres in India, Aids and appliances for Low vision, its manufacturers and distributors, large print publications, talking book services, Braille production centres, orientation and mobility training centres.
    Source:
    Subhash A. Datrange from National Association for the Blind, India.



Resources

To implement the solution or to overcome the problem, we need to avail the variety of resources namely:
  1. Infrastructure
  2. Human resources
  3. Skills and competence
  4. Utilization benchmarks

Infrastructure:

 This implies building a system of eye care on the basis of primary health care and making available the best technology that can be afforded at the public health level. If any blindness-prevention and eye care scheme is to be successful, awareness of eye disease and its prevention and treatment opportunities must be increased in the poorest population groups.
  • ESTABLISHING LOW VISION SERVICES AT SECONDARY LEVEL
    Abstract:
    This article focus on the factors to be noted and analyzed in detail for the establishment of Low Vision services in a particular service area with the Human Resource need for the same.
    Source:
    Hasan Minto Dip Optom FAAO, Haroon Awan MBChB MMed Ophth from Journal of Community Eye Health.

Human Resource Development:

 One of the main focuses of a global initiative to combat Low Vision must be human resource development. To increase the efficiency of ophthalmologists in clinical work, further training of support staff such as paramedical ophthalmic assistants, Vision rehabilitators is proposed.
  • TECHNOLOGY FOR VISION 2020 – LOW VISION DEVICES AND TRAINING
    Abstract:
    This article focus on the different types of Low Vision devices available and the training needed for Low Vision personnel in optical and non-optical Low Vision devices.
    Source:
    Hasan Minto Dip Optom FAAO, Imran Azam Butt MBBS DO FCPS from Journal of Community Ophthalmology.

Skills and Competence

 To improve the service of your organization, you will need to ensure that your staff has the skills and competence necessary to perform effectively. This can be attained by selecting the right candidates and providing formal training.

Equipments and Instruments:

 With the rapid and continuous development of technology the delivery of eye care services is becoming increasingly sophisticated and also expensive. While equipping an eye hospital one has to keep in mind very strongly the scope of clinical services and the anticipated patient flow. Most of the interventions for eye care require a secondary level setting. Hence the secondary level eye care includes cataract, refraction and other diagnostic procedures really forms the back bone of eye care services.
  • VISION 2020 – STANDARD LIST FOR LOW VISION SERVICES
    Abstract:
    This standard list gives the different kind of instruments and equipments like Ophthalmic, Vision Assessment, Optical, CCTV and Computer devices needed for the Low Vision clinic.
    Source:
    WHO/ IAPB Low Vision Working Group from Journal of Community Ophthalmology.
  • OPTICAL SERVICES FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED CHILDREN
    Abstract:
    This article focuses on the different kind of optical services for the low vision people, the stages defined in the management of low vision in children, prescribing magnifiers etc.
    Source:
    Lynne Ager BSc MSc MCOptom from Journal of Community Ophthalmology.
  • CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION SYSTEM
    Abstract:
    This booklet explains the use of Closed Circuit Television system for low vision patients for reading text, to see the time in watches, to load the insulin syringes etc. It also explains how to use the CCTV scanner, arrangements required and also the troubleshooting techniques.
  • VISION ENHANCEMENT SYSTEMS – CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION SYSTEM – THE ARAVIND MODEL
    Abstract:
    This article introduces the concept and advantages of Closed Circuit Systems and their use as low vision aids, it details the different types available and also describes the cost-effective system designed and being used at the Aravind Eye Care System.


Barriers

Despite improvements in the availability of blindness preventing and restoring treatment in the developing world, enormous barriers remain to increasing the use of services.The barriers are varying from place to place. The barriers could be from the perspective of the receiver or a client/patient. Few receiver barriers are cost of surgery, Distance to the Hospital, Cultural and Social Barriers, Knowledge of Services.
We invite our readers to provide us materials in these areas which will be more useful for our users. You can submit your materials of any type by clicking on the following button.

Submit


Strategies

Solutions do not lend by themselves to implement because of the challenges post by the barriers. Hence various strategies have been attempted in order to overcome the barriers and facilitate reaching of the solution to the people with the problem. In this context a wide variety of successful case studies and interventions will be looked at. There are two types of Strategies that could be looked in:
  1. Current Strategies
  2. Innovative Strategies
The current strategies provide the description of the present strategies adopted to prevent blindness due to Childhood problems with some case studies from various Eye Hospital including Aravind.
We invite our readers to provide us materials in these areas which will be more useful for our users. You can submit your materials of any type by clicking on the following button.

Submit

Health Education for Community

 Health education materials help improve the health of all people in the community. As far as eye care is concerned a lot of health education materials have to be developed for creating awareness about the eye diseases. We have provided you with the links of various health education materials that can be used by eye care professionals.
  1. Brochures
    1. VISION REHABILITATION CENTRE

  2. Posters
    1. FACTS AND MYTHS ABOUT LOW VISION
    2. CHECKLIST FOR IDENTIFYING LOW VISION CLIENTS
    3. LOW VISION OPTICAL AIDS FOR PATIENTS
    4. WHEN NOTHING CAN BE DONE STILL MORE CAN BE DONE



Collaborating Partner


We are very much delighted to collaborate with other Eye Care websites and Resource Centres to reach out more people and develop useful resources. This month we are featuring The LOW VISION GATEWAY as our collaborating partner.

Welcome to the Low Vision Gateway! The Low Vision Gateway was created to be your starting point to access information on the World Wide Web related to the fields of low vision rehabilitation and blindness. The purpose is to provide access to all Low vision information on the Internet.


This website provides you resources on:

Low Vision Rehabilitation
Low Vision Aids (From Magnifiers to CCTVs)
New Vision Loss: An Introduction to Coping
The Low Vision Gateway Bookstore
Find a Low Vision Rehabilitation Specialist
Eye Diseases & Conditions Causing Vision Loss
Organizations for the Blind / Visually Impaired
Children & Educational Issue of the Vision Impaired
Tools for the Vision Rehabilitation Professional
Computer & Internet Access for the Visually Impaired
Driving and Vision Impairment / Bioptic Driving
Alternative Media for the Visually Impaired , Reading Radio, Talking Books, Internet Audio, Large Print etc
Dogs to Guide the Blind & Visually Impaired
Braille and other Tactile Resources
Independent Living Aids for the Visually Impaired
Mobility and Orientation in Vision Rehabilitation
Deaf Blind Information
Sports, Recreation and Arts for the Visually Impaired
Research & Libraries Blindness and Vision Impairment
Governmental, Medicare, Disability & Legal Issues
Personal Web Sites of the Blind & Visually Impaired
Other Online Discussion Groups E-mail Lists of the Blind and Visually Impaired

About the authors:

Drs. Richard and Laura Windsor are a father and daughter team of low vision specialists at the Low Vision Centers of Indiana. Dr. Laura Windsor was recently honored with the 2001 National Essilor Award. Her father, Dr. Richard Windsor is past recipient of the American Optometric Association’s Optometrist of the Year 1999 for the United States. In 2003, he was selected as a Distinguished Practitioner of the National Academy of Practice.



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Address:
Vision 2020 e-resource team,
Lions Aravind Institute of Community Ophthalmology,
1, Annanagar, Madurai - 625 020,
Tamil Nadu, India,
E-mail:eyesite@aravind.org
Phone: 91-452-2537580


Contribute

We welcome you to submit your own resources or recommending to us resources which can be added to this to make this website successful. This could be articles or books or slide sets or videos or CDs or posters just about anything. All the resources will be submitted to a Quality Check process and then only it will be added as a resource in our site. Please send the resource as an attachment with the abstract and guideline.

Please click on the following link to submit your resources:

Submit Eye Care Resource


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Submit Weblink

We welcome you to post any eye care Training program, International Conferences and meetings, Educational symposia and related programs to the following address to display them in our Site Calendar. To submit an event, please click on the submit button including title of the event, dates, contact address, phone, fax e-mail and website address if exist for further information. We will review all the submissions and send notification of approval to the e-mail address provided.

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Past Issues