Vision Rehabilitation 

Vision Habilitation

Vision Habilitation refers to the education and development of children and youths with congenital or early-onset visual disabilities. The aim of vision habilitation is to enable children and youths to learn, retain or enhance skills and functional abilities that have either never developed or have not developed normally (Dutton and Bax, 2010; Corn and Koenig, 2004). Vision Habilitation may include services like:

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• Compensatory skills: techniques to compensate for vision loss.

• Visual efficiency skills: enhancing the use of remaining vision.

• Daily living skills: teaching independence in daily tasks (Corn and Koenig, 2004).

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Vision Habilitation is crucial for fostering the development and independence of children with visual impairments, helping them to adapt and thrive in their environment. 

Vision Rehabilitation 

Vision Rehabilitation encompasses adaptive processes and services for both partially sighted and blind individuals. Vision Rehabilitation focuses on the improvement and relearning of skills and behaviors previously acquired before the onset of a visual disability due to disease or injury (Silverstone et al., 2000; Hall Lueck and Dutton, 2015).

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Vision Rehabilitation services may include:

• Functional assessments: Evaluation of the individual's specific needs and visual capabilities.

• Training: Teaching adaptive skills and techniques, such as using assistive technologies and mobility aids.

• Environmental modifications: Adjustments like better lighting, reduced glare and high-contrast markings to improve visibility in their surroundings.

• Orientation and Mobility Training: Training to navigate environments safely using canes, guide dogs and other aids.

• Rehabilitation teaching: Adaptive skills training.

• Daily Living Skills: Helping with tasks such as cooking, grooming and managing finances through adaptive techniques.

• Low Vision Training: Using visual strategies and techniques to maximize remaining vision like angle of viewing, eccentric viewing, tracing, tracking, scanning or using high-contrast colors.

• Assistive devices: Supplying tools like magnifiers, talking thermometers, braille devices etc. 

• Assistive technology: Software and hardware that provide audio descriptions or convert text to speech, helping individuals access information more easily.

• Career Services and Training: Enhancing job-related skills. 

• Psychological Counseling: Providing emotional support and coping strategies to adjust to vision loss (Silverstone et al., 2000; Corn and Koenig, 2004). ​

Bibliography

Corn, A.L. and Koenig, A.J. (eds) (2004) Foundations of low vision: Clinical and functional perspectives. New York: American Foundation for the Blind, AFB Press.

Dutton, G.N. and Bax, M. (eds) (2010) Visual impairment in children due to damage to the brain. London: Mac Keith Press.

Hall Lueck, A. and Dutton, G.N. (eds) (2015) Vision and the brain. Understanding cerebral visual impairment in children. New York: American Foundation for the blind, AFB Press.

Silverstone, B., Rosenthal, B. and Lang, M. A. (eds) (2000) The Lighthouse Handbook on Vision Impairment and Vision Rehabilitation. New York: Oxford University Press.