A National Outcomes Assessment of the Rehabilitation of Adults with Visual Impairments

l'Aune, W. R. De; Welsh, Richard L.; Williams, Michael D.

doi:10.1177/0145482x0009400505

Cited by 26 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…In evaluating the benefits and effectiveness of guide dog ownership, the assessed variables might include the dog's breed, training, and characteristics as well as demographic and situational factors relating to the owner. Measuring the impact of services in relation to visually impaired users' needs is beginning to be integrated into rehabilitation and mobility service provision in general (see, e.g., De l'Aune et al 74 ), but the particular impact and efficacy of guide dogs has been given comparatively little attention.…”

Section: Limitations Of the Study And Areas For Further Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Benefits of Guide Dog Ownership

Whitmarsh

2005

Visual Impairment Research

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There is an apparent discrepancy between the actual number of guide dog owners and the proportion of visually impaired people who might benefit from a guide dog. This research aimed to provide an understanding of the reasons why many visually impaired people have not applied for a guide dog, the range of benefits offered by guide dogs, and how these might vary amongst different populations and under different circumstances. While previous research described a number of psychological and social benefits of assistant animal ownership, consistent with the companion animal literature, it also pointed to the importance of personal and social context on the impact and effectiveness of assistance animals. The study described here involved a telephone survey of over 800 visually impaired people and found that independence, confidence, companionship, increased and changed social interaction, as well as increased mobility, are commonly cited benefits of guide dog ownership. These psychological and social dimensions of owning a guide dog distinguish it from other mobility aids in its capacity to transform the lives of owners. However, as expected, demographic and contextual factors, such as gender, age, level of vision, and domestic circumstances, influence reasons for application and perceived benefits and drawbacks of guide dog ownership. The author argues that, while this research has emphasised the tremendous impact a guide dog can have, providing the most appropriate mobility aid for an individual's circumstances is the hallmark of effective rehabilitation service provision. The article also suggests ways in which perceived barriers to applying for a guide dog might be reduced.

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Section: Limitations Of the Study And Areas For Further Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Benefits of Guide Dog Ownership

Whitmarsh

2005

Visual Impairment Research

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“…The results for the plus intersection showed a significant main effect of fixation category (i.e., vehicles, crossing elements, traffic controls) (F [2,19] ϭ 62.58, p Ͻ 0.0001). The interaction between phase and category was also significant (F [4,17] ϭ 37.37, p Ͻ 0.0001).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…In a sample of 759 visually impaired veterans, only 37% reported crossing the street on a daily or weekly basis before rehabilitation. 2 Geruschat et al 3 evaluated the gaze behavior of fully sighted subjects crossing streets and found that the subjects allocated their fixations on task-relevant features of the environment, which were crossing elements, vehicles, and traffic controls. The finding that fully sighted subjects fixate on taskrelevant features while walking has been reported previously.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Gaze Behavior of the Visually Impaired During Street Crossing

Geruschat¹,

Hassan²,

Turano³

et al. 2006

Optometry and Vision Science

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“…However, in a study of 200 visually impaired veterans in 1995, Atlanta Veterans Affairs investigators found that 60 percent of the veterans were using only approximately 40 percent of their assistive devices a year after they had received them. 4 In a 1999 national survey on veteran satisfaction with VA rehabilitation services, the Atlanta VA investigators discovered the reason for such disuse. 4 They asked visually impaired veterans about their ability to independently perform such basic tasks as paying their bills and balancing their checkbooks.…”

Section: The Changing Needs Of the Disabledmentioning

confidence: 99%

Implementing assistive technology on wearable computers

Ross¹

2001

IEEE Intell. Syst.

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W hat might seem perfectly intuitive to a young rehabilitation engineer designing assistive devices might not be intuitive at all to a disabled or elderly person experiencing a serious loss of function for the first time. When designers understand the complex nature of disabilities, they're more likely to meet the disabled users' needs.Using the results of my work in designing assistive technology, this article describes impaired people's needs and offers design strategies to accommodate them. It also presents my research to develop a wearable computer-based orientation and wayfinding aid for the severely visually impaired. The nature of disabilityApproximately 54 million Americans are classified as disabled; 1 that is, they have a physical, cognitive, or sensory impairment-or a combination of the three-making it difficult or impossible to perform daily living activities. Disabilities might result from a disease, a birth defect, or a traumatic accident.The disabled population is heterogeneous, with a wide range and variety of functional differences within each of the three types of functional impairments. For instance, sensory impairment might include loss of vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch, heat sensitivity, or pressure sensitivity. A single disease or accident can impact function in more than one of the three impairments. For instance, a spinal cord injury can cause the loss of both physical and sensate function.The range and variety of functional losses increase with aging. Two-thirds of disabled Americans are over the age of 65. 1 As people with a primary disability grow older, many experience the onset of comorbid functional losses, such as the progressive loss of physical, sensory, or cognitive functions. Such comorbidities might drastically affect the aging person's ability to continue using his or her assistive devices. For instance, as a blind person with diabetes ages, he or she might experience progressive peripheral neuropathy, resulting in loss of touch in the fingers, making it difficult and eventually impossible to read Braille or use a tactile map.The fastest growing disabled group is not people aging with a disability; rather, it is people aging into disability. These people have lived normal lives; however, as they pass the 60-year mark, they begin to experience age-related accidents and diseases. 1 Incurable age-related diseases exact a great toll. In the US, 40 percent of people over 65 are losing their vision as a result of glaucoma, macular degeneration, or diabetes. 2 Diabetes also causes atrophy of peripheral nerves in the hands and feet, resulting in a loss of sensation that can cause accidents and even loss of a hand or foot. Losing cognitive functions can lead to various stages of dementia and finally total loss of functional independence.Older people who were once capable can find it difficult to learn to function independently with a disability. After retirement, people have less incentive to use unfamiliar technology or learn a new way of doing things. Also, third-party agencies...

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A National Outcomes Assessment of the Rehabilitation of Adults with Visual Impairments

Cited by 26 publications

References 2 publications

The Benefits of Guide Dog Ownership

The Benefits of Guide Dog Ownership

Gaze Behavior of the Visually Impaired During Street Crossing

Implementing assistive technology on wearable computers

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