[rehab] Conducting Functional Vision Assessments when Blind Yourself

[Alex]

Liz, I work as a rehab Instructor and conduct assessments in people's
homes.  I would be happy to talk with you and answer any questions you
might have.  I am currently at home on maternity leave, so I do not
have access to all of my work materials; thus, I might not be able to
tell you how much a particular item is that might help you, but I
would be happy to help if I can.  Please e-mail me off list and I will
send you my phone numbers.  Conducting these assessments is very
possible.  supervisory staff has observed me assess, which is a little
nerve racking, and stated that my assessments are more thorough than
many sighted Rehab Instructors whom they have observed, which I write,
not to brag, but to encourage you to know that you can conduct a
thorough, useful, and meaningful assessment.  I have made eye charts
accessible by using braille labels and have labeled all of my
equipment (magnifiers with various colored lights) in braille.
Recommending lighting and video magnifiers is more difficult for me,
and I generally leave the recommendation of prism glasses to clinical
based practicianers; otherwise, the assessment does not pose problems
for me.

Lucy

On 4/18/11, Jennifer Kennedy <msjenniferkennedy at gmail.com> wrote:
> Liz,
>
> I used to be the Low Vision case manager along with my O&M position so I
> have had experience doing functional vision assessments.
>
> 1. Get yourself both a distance and near visual acuity chart you can
> Braille. I used to have the near one both Brailled and not Brailled so I
> could read along as they read aloud from the unmarked chart.
> 2. With the distance chart, get yourself a room where you can measure on the
> floor with pieces of tape at 5, 10, and 20 feet away from a fixed point in
> the room so you can stand there with the chart.
>
> 3. I suspect they also want a confrontational field, correct? This one is a
> bit harder but you can at least identify if there is vision loss around
> upper, lower, etc. by having them look at your nose and you move your hands
> around the face.
>
> What other tasks are they wanting you to test?
>
> Jennifer
>
> Jennifer M. Kennedy, M.A., NOMC
> National Federation of the Blind of Virginia, Richmond Chapter, President
> Email: msjenniferkennedy at gmail.com
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: rehab-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:rehab-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
> Of Liz Bottner
> Sent: Sunday, April 17, 2011 4:54 PM
> To: 'Rehabilitation Counselor Mailing List'
> Subject: [rehab] Conducting Functional Vision Assessments when Blind
> Yourself
>
> Hi all,
>
>
>
> I am a Masters student studying Blind Rehabilitation Teaching. In one of my
> classes this semester, an assignment is to conduct a Functional Vision
> Assessment. An added challenge for me is to do this having no sight. I am
> wondering if anyone on list has done FVA's successfully as a blind person or
> might know of someone who has and could put me in touch with that person. I
> would be interested in all the advice and strategies anyone might have.
>
>
>
> Thank you, and take care,
>
>
>
> Liz
>
>
>
> email:
>
>  <mailto:liziswhatis at hotmail.com> liziswhatis at hotmail.com
>
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>
>  <http://unsilenceddream.livejournal.com/>
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>
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>
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>
>
>
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