Vision Rehabilitation

Contact

Phone: 604-875-4267

Fax: 604-875-4239

Faculty

  • ML. Jackson – Clinical Professor
  • S. Warner – Clinical Professor
  • Patty Mason – Occupational Therapist

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.

Patient Handout

http://vch.eduhealth.ca

Publications

Contrast sensitivity and visual hallucinations in patients referred to a low vision rehabilitation clinic

M L JacksonK BassettP V Nirmalan, and  E C Sayre

Br J Ophthalmol. 2007 Mar; 91(3): 296–298.

Translational Vision Rehabilitation: From Eccentric Fixation to Reading Rehabilitation.

Mishra A, Jackson ML.

Semin Ophthalmol. 2016;31(1-2):169-77.

Clinically Meaningful Rehabilitation Outcomes of Low Vision Patients Served by Outpatient Clinical Centers.

Goldstein JE, Jackson ML, Fox SM, Deremeik JT, Massof RW; Low Vision Research Network Study Group.

JAMA Ophthalmol. 2015 Jul;133(7):762-9.

Comprehensive vision rehabilitation.

Gordon K, Bonfanti A, Pearson V, Markowitz SN, Jackson ML, Small L.

Can J Ophthalmol. 2015 Feb;50(1):85-6.

Feasibility of a web-based survey of hallucinations and assessment of visual function in patients with Parkinson’s disease.

Jackson ML, Bex PJ, Ellison JM, Wicks P, Wallis J.

Interact J Med Res. 2014 Jan 6;3(1):e1.

Characterization of field loss based on microperimetry is predictive of face recognition difficulties.

Wallis TS, Taylor CP, Wallis J, Jackson ML, Bex PJ.

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2014 Jan 7;55(1):142-53. doi: 10.1167/iovs.13-12420.

Visual search with image modification in age-related macular degeneration.

Wiecek E, Jackson ML, Dakin SC, Bex P.

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2012 Sep 25;53(10):6600-9.

Baseline traits of low vision patients served by private outpatient clinical centers in the United States.

Goldstein JE, Massof RW, Deremeik JT, Braudway S, Jackson ML, Kehler KB, Primo SA, Sunness JS; Low Vision Research Network Study Group.

Arch Ophthalmol. 2012 Aug;130(8):1028-37.

Geographic atrophy and visual function.

Mogk LG, Jackson ML, Dahl D.

Ophthalmology. 2012 Apr;119(4):885-885.e3; author reply 885. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2011.09.052. No abstract available.

Visual function in the ‘oldest-old’ 1 year after comprehensive vision rehabilitation.

Jackson ML, Wallis J, Schoessow K, Drohan B, Williams K.

J Am Geriatr Soc. 2012 Jan;60(1):183-5.

Charles Bonnet Syndrome and glaucoma.

Jackson ML, Drohan B, Agrawal K, Rhee DJ.

Ophthalmology. 2011 May;118(5):1005-1005.e2.

Medicare coverage for vision assistive equipment.

Morse AR, Massof RW, Cole RG, Mogk LG, O’Hearn AM, Hsu YP, Faye EE, Wainapel SF, Jackson ML.

Arch Ophthalmol. 2010 Oct;128(10):1350-7. doi: 10.1001/archophthalmol.2010.228.

PMID: 20938006

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Select item 1867570

Rehabilitation and intraocular telescopes.

Colenbrander A, Fletcher DC, Berlin AJ, Cole RJ, Christiansen RM, Faye E, Fontenot J, Glaser BM, Homer P, Jackson ML, Lawrence MG, Markowitz SN, Mogk L, Morgan R, Sabates N, Santos-Jimenez S, Shepherd J.

Ophthalmology. 2008 Aug;115(8):1437-8; author reply 1438. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2008.04.021. No abstract available.

PMID: 18675705

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Select item 16767192

Vision rehabilitation for Canadians with less than 20/40 acuity: the SmartSight model.

Jackson ML.

Can J Ophthalmol. 2006 Jun;41(3):355-61. Review.