•  
  •  
 

Document Type (Journals)

Original Research

Abstract

Occupational therapists are trained to evaluate and treat occupational performance problems. Client factors, such as vision, greatly impact an individuals’ ability to participate in meaningful occupations. New accreditation standards do not include language related to vision. Therapists must be prepared to evaluate and treat the increasing prevalence of visual challenges from children with cerebral visual impairment to older adults with age related conditions. This survey explored how vision rehabilitation is covered in accredited occupational therapy and occupational therapy assistant programs and the expertise of faculty teaching vision content. A thirteen-question survey was sent to accredited programs. Questions included multiple response, Likert scale, closed-ended and open-ended response. Analysis examined the frequency of programs reporting vision rehabilitation content and instructor experience. Content most frequently reported included older adult low vision, adult neurological vision impairment, and adult low vision, and less frequently for pediatrics. Most vision rehabilitation content was dispersed among two to four courses throughout a core curriculum. Programs frequently reported the primary instructor as an assistant professor with continuing education training in vision rehabilitation. Barriers to the inclusion of vision rehabilitation in curricula included limited time, priority to accreditation standards, access to specialists and financial constraints. Results indicated that programs, to a degree, integrated vision rehabilitation into coursework, although quality of content taught is still unknown. Further research is recommended to identify the quality of content and encourage clarification of accreditation standards to ensure rigor and consistency across all programs to meet the population's needs.

Biography

Angela Butler, OTD, MS, OTR/L is an associate professor in the School of Occupational Therapy at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) in Manchester, New Hampshire. She received her occupational therapy doctorate and Graduate Certificate in Low Vision Rehabilitation from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and master’s degree in occupational therapy from the University of New Hampshire. She has studied at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in California, along with various inpatient and outpatient settings in New England that specialize in care for clients with brain injury, stroke and neurological disorders and was a clinical therapy leader with a specialty in vision for an inpatient rehabilitation unit. She has provided training and conference presentations on vision rehabilitation, interprofessional collaboration, community programming, and significant learning and course design. She serves on a national committee of expert practitioners in vision rehabilitation and is an active member of local and national occupational therapy associations.

Beth Barstow, PhD, OTR/L, SCLV, FAOTA is a professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has a doctoral degree in Health Education and graduate certificates in low vision rehabilitation and global health. She is the program director for the UAB Low Vision Graduate Certificate Program. Beth has clinical experience working in vision rehabilitation, adult physical disabilities, driving and long-term-care. Her teaching and advocacy activities have centered on vision rehabilitation for adults and older adults. She has presented and published nationally and internationally on vision loss. Research has focused on environmental accessibility, occupational participation for those with vision impairment and engagement in physical activity and wellness activities for those with disabilities. She has obtained specialty certification in low vision rehabilitation from the American Occupational Therapy Association and has been recognized as a fellow for her work in advancing OT education in vision rehabilitation. She has worked with both AOTA and ACVREP on development of certifications for occupational therapists in low vision and blindness.

Declaration of Interest

Author, Angela Butler, reports no declarations of interest. Author, Beth Barstow, is co-author of low vision textbook, Occupational Therapy Interventions for Adults with Low Vision. This has been disclosed to ensure transparency. The author declares no additional competing interests.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Download

Share

COinS