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PubMed1998

Visual impairment in children: prevalence, aetiology and care, 1976-85.

Visual impairment (corrected visual acuity in the best eye < 0.3) was evaluated in a retrospective study of 296 children born between 1976 and 1985 and recruited from three French departments. For children younger than 9 years, the overall prevalence was 0.80 per 1000 and that of blindness was 0.28 per 1000. No decrease in prevalence was noted over this decade. The most common aetiologies were antenatal factors (48%), which were observed mainly in the cases of poor vision, and perinatal factors (27%), which were more common in the cases of blindness. Fifty-six per cent of the children had an additional severe handicap. The most common association was with motor impairment and mental retardation. The mean age of first medical care (3.1 years) did not change over the decade: 2.0 years for children with an associated handicap, 2.9 years for cases of isolated blindness and 5.1 years for cases of isolated poor vision. Among children with isolated visual impairment, there was a significantly higher percentage of scholastic underachievers in those presenting after the age of 5 years (39.3% vs. 14.6%).

Achievement↗
PubMed2001

Visual impairment in adult people with moderate, severe, and profound intellectual disability.

PURPOSE: To assess visual impairment in adults with intellectual disability after de-institutionalisation. PATIENTS: The county has a population of 385 483 persons of 18 years and older; 961 were moderately, severely or profoundly intellectually impaired (ID), 837 of them (87 %) participated in the investigation. METHODS: Visual acuity, VA: Østerberg picture charts and reduced copies for near vision could be used in 71% of the patients. Teller preferential looking procedure was applied to people who were unable to cooperate with the picture charts. When examined with picture wall chart VA 0.3-> or =0.10) was found in 10.8%, severe low vision in 1.2% (VA <0.10-> or =0.05), and blindness (VA<0.05) in 3.8%. Poor near vision (<0.3) was present in 19%. Those assessed with Teller acuity cards had poorer vision than the others. It is possible that the low values of assessment with Teller cards represent a combination of gnostic and resolution deficiencies, which means that the results of grating VA and recognition VA are non-comparable. Ophthalmic disorders: The most widespread medical condition was cerebral visual impairment, the most frequent eye disorders were optic atrophy, high myopia, cataract, and keratoconus. Refraction: Refraction was assessed in 710 persons (85%), the most prevalent cause of visual impairment was uncorrected ametropia. Hypermetropia of >+1.50 was found in 151 of 710 subjects (21%), and spectacles were used by 106 (15%); myopia <-1.0 was present in 213 individuals (30%), 95 persons (13%) had lenses <-1.0. CONCLUSION: Resettled adult people with intellectual disability have a high prevalence of treatable visual impairment. A structured scheme of referral to optometric and ophthalmological care is essential if these people are to be given the care to which they are entitled.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Graphic displays: the effects of orientation on the tangible perception of histograms and pie charts.

Two studies designed to investigate the ability of blind subjects to interpret tangible graphic displays of data at varying degrees of orientation are reported. In the first experiment visually handicapped children were required to interpret histograms and pie charts presented at two different orientations. Horizontally oriented histograms were found to have a significant advantage over vertically oriented histograms, but there was no effect of orientation on pie charts. In the second study horizontally and vertically oriented histograms were again compared using a subject sample comprised only of congenitally or very early blind children. The results confirmed the superiority of horizontally presented histograms over the more common vertical display.

Blindness↗
PubMed1999

[Visually handicapped children and young adults in specialized schools in the French North department in 1995].

BACKGROUND: In 1988, the prevalence of blindness in France was 0.17/1000 and that of amblyopia 0.48/1000. Medical advances in the last 30 years have modified the population of children with visual impairment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The populations in two specialized schools of the north (340 children and adolescents, 3-20-year-olds) were studied and compared with the literature. RESULTS: Cataracts (13%) and congenital nystagmus (11%) were the two most frequent causes. The children taken in charge had less severe diseases than in the past but needed all the same specialized education. However these schools provided more specialized help for children educated near home, in ordinary schools. The children who were educated in the two specialized schools had more severe diseases or more social problems in their families. CONCLUSION: The education and educative treatment of these children are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

How does visual impairment affect performance on tasks of everyday life? The SEE Project. Salisbury Eye Evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between performance on selected tasks of everyday life and impairment in visual acuity and contrast sensitivity. METHODS: Visual acuity and contrast sensitivity were obtained on a population-based sample of 2520 older African American and white subjects. Performance was assessed on mobility, daily activities with a strong visual component, and visually intensive tasks. Disability was defined as performance less than 1 SD below the mean. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were used to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of thresholds in acuity and contrast loss for determining disability. RESULTS: Both visual acuity and contrast sensitivity loss were associated with decrements in function. The relationship of function to the vision measures was mostly linear, therefore, receiver operating characteristic curves were not helpful in identifying cutoff points for predicting disabilities. For mobility tasks, most persons were not disabled until they had significant acuity loss (logMAR visual acuity >1.0 or <20/200) or contrast sensitivity loss (0.9 log units contrast sensitivity). For heavily visually intensive tasks, like reading, visual acuity worse than 0.2 logMAR (20/30) or contrast sensitivity worse than 1.4 log units was disabling. CONCLUSIONS: Both contrast sensitivity and visual acuity loss contribute independently to deficits in performance on everyday tasks. Defining disability as deficits in performance relative to a population, it is possible to identify visual acuity and contrast loss where most are disabled. However, the cutoff points depend on the task, suggesting that defining disability using a single threshold for visual acuity or contrast sensitivity loss is arbitrary.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2000

[The development of the skin-optical perception of color and images in blind schoolchildren on an "internal visual screen"].

In profound impairement of vision the function of colour and seen objects perception is absent, with the person being unable to orient himself in space. The uncovered sensory sensations of colour allowed their use in training the blind in recognizing the colour of paper, fabric, etc. Further study in those having become blind will, we believe, help in finding eligible people and relevant approaches toward educating the blind, which will make for development of the trainee's ability to recognize images on the "inner visual screen".

Blindness↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Keep it simple! A touch technique peritoneal dialysis procedure for the blind and visually impaired.

Diabetes is the main cause of blindness in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD). The number of diabetic patients who require dialysis has increased from 16% in 1981 to 30% in 1999 (CIHI, 1999). Therefore, it is important for blind individuals to find a peritoneal dialysis (PD) technique that will ensure their independence and prevent peritonitis. In July 2000, the home peritoneal dialysis unit (HPDU), Toronto Western Hospital (TWH), University Health Network, successfully developed and implemented a "touch technique" connection procedure for the blind and visually impaired. The procedure involved is a touch technique connection utilizing the Fresenius Premier Plus Double Bag system. Three blind patients on the UV Flash peritoneal dialysis system were retrained in the touch technique on a one-to-one basis for an average of four days. Additionally, they were each given a procedural audiotape or CD for reference at home. This simple touch technique has enabled these three patients the freedom of a relatively independent lifestyle. They have been peritonitis-free since implementation, for 19, 15 and four months respectively. This technique allows blind and visually-impaired ESRD patients to perform peritoneal dialysis in their homes and, thus, maintain independence.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Occupational injuries among older workers with visual, auditory, and other impairments. A validation study.

This study aims to validate a previously defined model of the risk of occupational injuries among older workers with visual, auditory, or other impairments. That model was based upon the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). The previous logistic regression model was recalculated using data from the 1994 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). The parameter estimates for impaired hearing (.181 in NHIS, 1.55 in HRS), impaired vision (2.42 in NHIS, 1.48 in HRS), and self-employment (0.22 in NHIS, 0.49 in HRS) were in same direction and of roughly the same magnitude. The previously defined model was confirmed using NHIS data. The data suggest that as the workforce ages, more attention must be paid to the accommodation of disabilities in the workplace, especially sensory impairments-poor vision and hearing.

Accidents, Occupational↗
PubMed1999

Monitoring the environment: sound localization equipment for deaf-blind people.

The problems that deaf-blind subjects have with monitoring the environment and the strategies they use were identified using structured interviews. The use of the vibratory sense did not appear to be highly developed, but some individuals indicated that it has great potential. We describe here the design of a computerized laboratory device for sound localization, based on a three-microphone system with a cross correlation algorithm. It was found to have reasonable precision and sufficient reliability to allow the detection and localization of a person approaching a deaf-blind subject in an ordinary room. The next step is to miniaturize the equipment and build a portable prototype.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2003

Malocclusion and orthodontic treatment need of handicapped individuals in South Canara, India.

AIMS: To estimate the prevalence and the severity of malocclusion and treatment need for 329 handicapped individuals. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: 329 handicapped individuals aged 11-30 years, attending eight different nonresidential special schools of South Canara, India. METHOD: Examination and recording using the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI). RESULTS: 53% had a dental appearance which required no orthodontic treatment, 24% had a definite malocclusion, where treatment was 'elective' and treatment for a further 12% was considered to be 'highly desirable'. The remaining subjects (11%) had a handicapping malocclusion where treatment was considered mandatory. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of definite and severe malocclusions was higher in the mentally subnormal individuals when compared to other handicapping conditions. Orthodontic services for the handicapped have generally been neglected.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Risk of cataract and history of severe diarrheal disease in southern India.

A case-control study was carried out in the state of Tamil Nadu, southern India, to examine the association between the risk of visually disabling cataract and a lifetime history of severe diarrhea (including cholera). A series of 421 subjects, aged 35 to 65 years, meeting case (n = 181) and control (n = 240) eligibility criteria were enrolled from 19 rural cataract-screening camps. Ninety case-control pairs were postmatched for (reported) age (+/- 2 years), sex, and area of residence. A history of diarrhea was obtained by using an algorithm developed by other investigators in India who have reported a strong association between cataract and diarrhea. An odds ratio of 0.8 (95% confidence limits: 0.0, 3.2) was obtained from matched pairs analysis, and an odds ratio of 1.3 (95% confidence limit: 0.6, 2.7) was obtained among all subjects (n = 392) from a logistic analysis that adjusted for age, sex, occupation, area of residence, and caste. Findings of this study do not support the hypothesis of an increased risk of visually disabling cataract in persons with a positive history of severe diarrhea.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Aromatherapy for deaf and deafblind people living in residential accommodation.

This article looks at ways in which aromatherapy and therapeutic massage have been found to be beneficial for a group of deaf and deafblind adults with special needs, living in residential accommodation. Our basic aim is to promote confidence and communication as well as enhancing a sense of well-being through the judicial use of aromatic plant materials and therapeutic massage. Aromatherapy sessions have become an accepted enjoyable and therapeutic part of the residents' lifestyle. It is our belief that this gentle, non-invasive therapy can benefit deaf and deafblind people, especially as their intact senses can be heightened. This paper explores both professional and caring issues related to the use of aromatherapy in this environment.

Adult↗