An Introduction to Low Vision Rehabilitation for Occupational Therapists

Course Description

Blindness is considered to be one of the 10 leading causes of disability in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2019). Legal blindness describes central vision of 20/200 or less in the better eye with best correction, or visual field of less than 20 degrees in the better eye (American Foundation for the Blind [AFB], 2020a). Low vision is a term used to describe vision loss not corrected by glasses, medicine, or surgery. More than 16% of the total U.S. population is currently over the age of 65, and the baby boomer population is projected to be larger than the population of those under the age of 18 by the year 2034 (United States Census Bureau, 2019). By 2050, vision impairment and blindness could increase by 150% if left untreated (CDC, 2017a). This change in population serves as one factor warranting an increase in occupational therapy (OT) services for those individuals experiencing deficits in occupational performance due to age-related visual loss. The importance of OT’s role in low vision rehabilitation is paramount as the profession progresses toward becoming the leading skilled healthcare service for older adults.