User:JaeHyung Choi/Vision Rehabilitation

Vision Rehabilitation (often called vision rehab) is a term for a medical rehabilitation in order to improve vision or low vision. The rehabilitation is the process of restoring functional ability, quality of life, and independence in an individual who has lost function through illness or injury. In the case of vision rehabilitation, most rehabilitation services are focused on low vision. Low vision is a visual impairment that cannot be corrected by regular eyeglasses, contact lenses, medication, or surgery, and it interferes with the ability to perform everyday activities. The visual impairment is caused by various reasons including brain damage, vision loss, and etc.

Basic Background

 * Rehabilitation


 * The rehabilitation does not undo or reverse the cause of damage, but seeks to promote function and independence through adaptation. Individuals can seek rehabilitation in a number of different domains, such as motor rehabilitation after a stroke or physical rehabilitation after a car accident.


 * Low Vision


 * The total of approximately 14 million Americans is suffering from low vision. The low vision is a condition where a level of vision is 20/70 or worse and it cannot be fully recovered with medical treatment, surgery, or conventional glasses. The low vision is clearly different from blindness since people with low vision have some useful sight. However, those people often have hard time accomplishing daily tasks as their vision deteriorates such as reading, cooking, driving, recognizing people's faces, and discerning color.The table below explains about the basic definitions of low vision and blindness.

Causation
The low vision is not caused by a single disease. Multiple of diseases come together and impact to cause low vision or blindness. Despite the fact that the low vision mainly influences the elderly, it still can appear at any stage in life. Most people develop low vision as a result of eye conditions and diseases, including macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, cataracts, retinitis pigmentosa, and stroke.

Some causes of low vision, such as cataracts, are treatable and good vision can be restored. When diagnosed early, other conditions that lead to low vision, such as wet macular degeneration and glaucoma, can be halted or slowed - although vision lost is irreversible. The impact of each of these eye diseases on functional vision is summarized in table below.

Current Research
== Useful Tips ==
 * 1) Identify yourself when you enter the room. Tell the person with visual impairment who else is accompanying you.
 * 2) Keep the environment organized and free of obstacles. Do not rearrange a person with visual impairment’s belongings without describing their new location.
 * 3) Ask the person what type of lighting allows for optimum use of vision. Use good contrast to assist the person in daily activities (i.e. pour dark coffee into a white cup, write very large with a bold black marker).
 * 4) When eating, describe the location of food items and utensils using a clock format. (i.e. “you have potato at 4:00, peas at 7:00 and meat at 12:00”).
 * 5) Use raised markers, high contrast tape, nail polish or “puffy” fabric paint to mark dials on appliances, thermostat, salt and pepper shakers, etc.
 * 6) Mobility: Have the person with visual impairment lightly hold your bent elbow. Walk smoothly, and both verbally and physically indicate steps or obstacles. Be sure to inquire as to which side is more comfortable for the person.
 * 7) Be creative! Rely on input from the person with visual impairment to assist him or her in being as independent as possible!

Clinical Studies
Since vision rehabilitation is focusing on low vision mainly, there are many clinical studies focused on low vision. However, there are still many mobility training and assisting devices for people with low vision.