Vision Rehabilitation

Faculty

Dr. Myra Butler, Clinical Instructor

Dr. Mary Jackson, Clinical Professor

Dr. Simon Warner, Clinical Professor

Overview

The goal of the Vision Rehabilitation Clinic is to assist patients with low vision from any eye disease to effectively use all of their remaining vision. For many patients, magnification devices and specific strategies can allow them to read and continue to do other activities such as using a computer or cell phone.

Patients in our clinic may have low vision due to macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy or glaucoma. Rehabilitation begins after patients have had diagnosis and evaluation by their eye doctor. Rehabilitation is part of the continuum of ophthalmic care, just as stroke rehabilitation or cardiac rehabilitation is part of the continuum of health care.

Occupational therapy training can assist patients to learn to use magnifiers, access audio books, utilize cell phone and computer accessibility features and address safety in daily tasks.

Our Approach

Comprehensive vision rehabilitation care addresses five areas:

Reading rehabilitation
Activities of daily living
Patient Safety
Continued participation in events
Well-being, including adjustment to vision loss

We focus on the patient’s individual goals and on a detailed clinical evaluation of the patient’s vision, which includes

Visual acuity
Contrast sensitivity
Central visual field assessment using macular perimetry

Referral

Patients have diagnosis and treatment of their eye disease prior to vision rehabilitation so that treatable problems are not overlooked.

Ophthalmologists typically refer patients to our clinic by phone or fax after their assessment.

Other physicians are also welcome to refer to our clinic. If a patient has a prior diagnosis by an ophthalmologist/neuro-ophthalmologists please forward that to us when the referral is made for vision rehabilitation.

If a patient has vision difficulties and has not seen an ophthalmologist for diagnosis and treatment, the responsible physician can refer to an ophthalmologist or neuro-ophthalmologist. Vision rehabilitation consultation can be arranged immediately following this evaluation and in some cases on the same day if the consultation is at the Eye Care Centre.