bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Driver's Training for Partially Sighted Persons: An Interdisciplinary Approach
Authors: Jose Randall T. , Butler James H.
Published: March 2020

Through a program involving optometric and special education professionals, partially sighted persons can be trained to use bioptic telescopes for driving. Special performance tests, given by informed officers of the Department of Motor Vehicles, insure that a safe and dependable driver will be placed on our highways.
Placement and Employment of the Visually Impaired: State of the Art and Identification of Unmet Needs
Authors: Link Harry J.
Published: March 2020

Describes vocational rehabilitation and other federal legislation that has opened up jobs for the blind and specific employment areas that have attracted visually impaired persons over the past decade or so. Reports the results of two surveys conducted to determine unmet needs. Results include the importance of upgrading the placement aspects of rehabilitation; providing blind persons with real work skills; early career education programs.
Rapid Reading in Braille and Large Print: An Examination of McBride's Procedures
Authors: Olson Myrna , Harlow Steven D. , Williams John
Published: March 2020

Two groups of braille and one group of large print readers were given two-week workshops to allow them to develop rapid reading skills. All three groups significantly increased their reading rates on both formal and informal tests; there was no corresponding loss in comprehension as measured by the formal test. Younger subjects appeared to make the greatest gains. All three groups more than doubled their informal reading rates, while their formal reading rates increased from 30 to 50 percent.
Changing Attitudes toward Blindness: A Role-Playing Demonstration for Service Clubs
Authors: Koch Audrey Straus
Published: March 2020

A short program to improve attitudes toward blind persons and to correct misinformation was designed and presented to 13 Lions and Rotary Clubs. A role-playing demonstration (fully described) with blindfolded members of the audience was followed by a discussion period. Through the administration of a questionnaire before the program and one to two months after, it was found that significant improvements occurred in those attitudes in which blind people are viewed as helpless, inferior, and dependent. Improvements in the participants’ knowledge about blind people did not occur to the extent expected.
Blinded Vietnam Era Veterans in Search of Work
Authors: Wyant Dennis R.
Published: March 2020

A high rate of unemployment among Vietnam veterans prompted an investigation into their use of available job resources and training in job-seeking skills. Response to a questionnaire submitted to these veterans revealed that few were utilizing available resources and that training was needed in resumé preparation, job-seeking procedures, and interview techniques. The need was established for further research into the problems of the blind veteran and the necessity of establishing training courses to bridge the gap between rehabilitation and attainment of employment.
Work Evaluation of the Visually Impaired: A Perspective
Authors: Currie Lawrence E.
Published: March 2020

Work evaluation is defined as work and work-related observations made in order to formulate definitive statements about an individual's work potential. The Clawson Work Sample Test for visually impaired and blind persons, designed to reflect actual jobs in industry, is described. It is stressed that individual differences and needs in the evaluation process be considered. Situational assessment and transitional employment are discussed as part of a comprehensive program.
Utilization of Low Vision in Adults who are Severely Visually Handicapped
Authors: Barraga Natalie C.
Published: March 2020

Emphasis upon more efficient and effective use of residual vision is vital to the rehabilitation process of visually impaired adults. Labels of blindness limit motivation to use remaining vision. Personal functional needs and degree of capacity are uniquely individual characteristics which must be taken into account in learning to use residual vision to best advantage. A continuing evaluation and application of new optical, technical, and medical-surgical techniques should be an integral part of services to adults with diminished vision.
A Concept Development Program for Future Mobility Training
Authors: Webster Richard
Published: March 2020

A concept development program to prepare first and second grade blind children for future mobility training was established at the Illinois Braille and Sight Saving School in Jacksonville, Illinois. The initial concept work included working in a group setting to improve the body imagery, spatial concepts, and organizational ability of the six students in the class. Two orientation and mobility specialists then worked with the students on an individual basis to teach them routes of travel on the campus. Guidelines followed, material used, and observations from operating such a program for three years are presented.
In-Service Training Programs for Alternate Care Facilities
Authors: Search David L.
Published: March 2020

The in-service training programs currently being conducted by the Michigan Division of Services for the Blind are being directed to the medical and para-medical staffs in alternate care facilities. The goal of the program is to educate the staff in understanding, assisting, and working with visually impaired residents. The program consists of three segments: 1) skill training of staff, 2) patient census, and 3) patient interview. A standardized package has been developed and is available to any interested person.
Braille Program for the Beginning Reader
Authors: Tugendhaft Gloria
Published: March 2020

A special forum for individuals to respond in detail to material published in the New Outlook for the Blind or elsewhere, to present new ideas, or to raise issues that relate to the specialized field of work with blind and visually handicapped persons. Contributions should be 350–1000 words in length.
Aging and Blindness
Authors: Worden Helen W.
Published: March 2020

The proportion of older people in the United States population is growing at a faster rate than is the population in general. Since some 50 percent of blind persons are over age 60, there will be almost 300,000 elderly blind persons by the year 2000. The cooperation of several agencies will be necessary to supply services to help older blind persons to remain as competent and independent as possible. A cooperative program of the Rhode Island Association for the Blind and the Rhode Island Division of the Aging is described.
Teaching a Deaf-Blind Woman to “Wait” on Command
Authors: Yarnall Gary D.
Published: March 2020

A 21-year-old woman who was totally blind, severely hearing impaired, functionally retarded, behaviorally resistive (“stubborn”), self-stimulative, self-abusive, and who lacked basic communication skills, was taught to sit quietly and wait on command. When given a command, “Wait,” she was at first required to wait for one full second with her hands folded quietly in her lap. Within a two week period, Becky was taken through 35 training sessions. Each session comprised five correct waiting responses (plus the number of incorrect responses). Following the baseline, prompts were used and various social and tangible reinforcements were differentially administered contingent upon correct responses. A verbal and physical “no” immediately followed each incorrect response. The number of incorrect responses per session decreased from 238 to 0 and the number of seconds “waiting” increased from one to two full seconds.
Optacon Teaching of a Bilaterally Hand-Injured Student
Authors: Poss Dorothy
Published: March 2020

Describes how a blind man with only two fingers on the right hand and with a surgically rebuilt left hand learned to read with the Optacon. Stresses the importance of a flexible approach in order to provide a psychological boost when the student needed it as a result of difficulties in other courses.
Evidence of Isolation in the Mainstream
Authors: Hoben Mollie , Lindstrom Valerie
Published: March 2020

Interaction between visually impaired students and their nonhandicapped classmates is an expected outcome of mainstreaming. The study reported on in this article tested this premise using the Interaction Observation Schedule for systematic observation and recording of the interactions of visually impaired students and their nonhandicapped classmates. Teachers’ responses to the Teacher Questionnaire were also used. Both the systematic observations and the teachers’ responses indicated that visually impaired students interact less frequently than their nonhandicapped classmates. These findings suggest that encouragement of interaction between visually impaired students and their classmates will have to be a more explicit undertaking than has been generally realized.
Psychometric Evaluation of the Low Vision Diagnostic Assessment Procedure
Authors: Berla Edward P. , Rankin Earl F. , Willis Debbie H.
Published: March 2020

A psychometric evaluation was conducted on the Diagnostic Assessment Procedure (DAP), which evaluates the visual efficiency of legally blind persons with low vision. The DAP was administered twice to 112 legally blind students ages 5 to 20. Reliability coefficients showed that the DAP was internally consistent (KR-20 = .94) and accurate (test-retest, r = . 96) to an extremely high degree. The hierarchical nature of the DAP and the validity of its content and construct are discussed.
Teaching Typewriter Keyboard Layout
Authors: White Donna L.
Published: March 2020

Describes a simple way to familiarize blind students with the layout of a typewriter keyboard: Brailled letters of the alphabet were Thermoformed and glued to ¾ “-square ceramic tiles that had a Velcro backing. The tiles could be in turn positioned along strips of Velcro to simulate the position of typewriter keys. Once students had gained familiarity with this layout, their knowledge was tested by having them detect which tiles were missing or incorrectly positioned.
Identifying Visually Impaired Children in a California School District
Authors: Roessing Linda Joseph
Published: March 2020

As the result of in-service training and public information efforts in the Fremont (California) Unified School District, 138 children were referred to the district's program for visually impaired students over a 3½-year period. Forty-six percent of these children were actually visually impaired. School nurses and parents accounted for almost half the referrals. When the children were categorized by grade level, the largest number came from grade 4. When categorized by age, the largest number were 13 years old. The assumption that referrals would concentrate at four levels—entry into formal education and grades 4, 7 and 9—was supported by the data, except for grade 7. The assessment procedures developed for the program and the importance of evaluating use of vision in the classroom are discussed.
A Study of the Job Responsibilities of the Field Rehabilitation Teacher
Authors: Young Pamelia S. , Dickerson Larry R. , Jacobson William H.
Published: March 2020

A study was undertaken to ascertain the role of a field rehabilitation teacher. A questionnaire was sent to 111 rehabilitation teachers in thirteen southern and western states asking: How is the field rehabilitation teacher's time spent in providing instruction and services to the visually handicapped clients in his or her case load? Other data collected included educational levels and years of experience. The study concluded that the rehabilitation teacher's time is spent primarily in the areas of case recording, home management, communications, counseling, and travel, and this time may be affected by the educational levels and experiences of the teachers. Future research should look more in depth into the time spent in each category in relationship to the educational experience to see how one affects the other in terms of the duties, responsibilities, and job effectiveness of the field rehabilitation teacher.
Facing Loss of Vision: The Response of Adults to Visual Impairment
Authors: Emerson Donna L.
Published: March 2020

Short-term group therapy, using social group work, was utilized to treat the psychosocial problems of two groups of elderly low-vision clients and one group of young adult clients with low vision (N = 24). Group members showed psychosocial movement in three phases: shock, reactive depression, and readjustment. Evaluations measured the change in attitudes before and after group therapy. At the end of therapy, 17 persons, compared to none before the therapy, were at the point of self-acceptance and readjustment. Clinical examples illustrate the interplay of intrapsychic and group-experience factors leading to readjustment.
Effect of Visual Condition on Use of Proprioceptive Cues in Performing a Balance Task
Authors: Gipsman Sandra Curtis
Published: March 2020

To study the effect of visual condition on performance of a balancing task, 48 children ages 8 to 10 and 12 to 14 who were totally blind, legally blind, sighted, and blindfolded sighted were tested on a stabilometer during two sessions held approximately one month apart. Each session included 20 trials with the feet perpendicular to the stabilometer's axle and 20 with the feet parallel to the axle. According to the results, a hierarchy of motor performance exists among older children: Sighted 12-to-14-year-olds performed best, followed by the totally blind, blindfolded legally blind and, finally, sighted blindfolded children. Thus a developmental trend may exist in the ability to use proprioceptive information. If this ability can be learned, it may become a valuable adjunct to mobility programs for the visually impaired.
Brain Pathology and Blindness: Spedal Considerations
Authors: Dale William F.
Published: March 2020

The dual handicaps of blindness and brain damage produce a unique combination of rehabilitation problems. To examine these problems, several illustrative cases are cited. The relationship of the eye to the brain is discussed, along with several neurological syndromes. Suggestions for working with the brain damaged, blind client are given.
Hand Movement Training in Braille Reading
Authors: Wormsley Diane P.
Published: March 2020

Twenty-one children ages 6 though 13 were taught to use their hands independently when reading braille to determine how this pattern of hand movements affected reading variables, excluding character recognition. Although all the children learned this pattern of hand movements during the 20 days scheduled for training, only nine children exhibited a dramatic decrease in inefficient tracking movements such as pauses and scrubbing motions. Because these children were younger and more intelligent than the others, read braille more slowly, and had received less training in braille at school, the results strongly suggested that skill in tracking and use of an efficient hand movement pattern is closely tied to perceptual ability. Thus when teaching children to read braille, the motor aspects of the task should be combined with the perceptual aspects from the beginning.
Electrodiagnostic Testing of Visually Impaired Children under Sedation
Authors: Press Leonard J. , Cummings Roger W. , Siegfried John B. , Altman Brian
Published: March 2020

The use of chloral hydrate as a sedative to enable electrodiagnostic testing of hyperkinetic children is discussed, and procedures for the administration of chloral hydrate are described. Case examples are presented to illustrate that assessment during the sleep-induced state enables further counseling regarding spasmus nutans, optic nerve hyoplasia, and Leber's congenital amaurosis. Management based on comparative electroretinogram and visual-evoked-response recordings is emphasized.
The Comprehension of Verbal Humor by Visually Impaired Children
Authors: Tait Pearl E. , Ward Maryanne B.
Published: March 2020

This study compared the ability of 51 visually impaired and 51 sighted children, aged 7#15, to comprehend verbal humor presented to them in the form of jokes and nonjokes. It found that visually impaired children seem to comprehend humor as well as do their sighted peers.
Relationship between Mobility Level and Development of Positional Concepts in Visually Impaired Children
Authors: Miller Sue Ellen
Published: March 2020

A seven-point Mobility Rating Scale was devised to rate the current level of mobility of 39 visually impaired children, aged 6-10, from two residential schools. Each subject was rated by orientation and mobility specialists and classroom teachers. The researcher then administered the Hill Performance Test of Selected Positional Concepts. No significant relationship was found between the subjects’ level of mobility and their development of positional concepts. However, because the two factors are independent entities, visually impaired students should continue to receive a variety of experiences related both to mobility and to positional concepts in all areas of the curriculum.
A California Model of Joint Action: Influencing Legislation through Cooperation
Authors: Harrell Bruce B.
Published: March 2020

The International Year of Disabled Persons (1981) heralded immense changes in laws and funding that affect visually handicapped people and professionals in the field of blindness, and the process continues without united opposition. This article describes the recently formed Joint Action Committee of Organizations Of and Serving the Visually Handicapped, made up of groups that united to fight the legislative axe in California. The harmful effects of recent legislation on visually handicapped people and on professionals in the blindness system are described. The author offers specific suggestions on how similar groups in other states can implement joint action at the state and federal levels.
Orientation and Mobility Services in the Public Schools: A Follow-up
Authors: Smith Tom E.C. , Jacobson William , Smith Bonnie L.
Published: March 2020

In this follow-up to a study conducted in 1977, the 50 state departments of education were resurveyed to determine the availabiltiy of orientation and mobility specialists in the public schools. A definite trend was found toward increasing the availability of these specialists. Although there is still a significant gap between the number of specialists needed and the number of specialists employed, the results are encouraging.
Neonatal Vision Screening
Authors: Baird Anne S. , Hemming Ann Marie
Published: March 2020

Gives a select overview of the purpose, process and procedures which are involved in Neonatal Vision Screening. Specific information is derived as to the strenths and weaknesses of the child's visual functioning from use of an assessment tool. Advantages as well as disadvantages for use of such a tool aimed at early intervention are discussed. Significant responses and reactions worth noting are outlined so an evaluator might have an indication of what to look for in using such a tool. Recurring observations among the general population screened, and adaptive techniques found to be useful during assessment, are presented.
Job Descriptions of Rehabilitation Teachers and Orientation and Mobility Specialists in State Agencies
Authors: Nelipovich Michael , Godley Susan Harrington , Vieceli Louis
Published: March 2020

This article describes the results of a survey on the roles of rehabilitation teachers and orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists employed by government agencies for the blind. To obtain the neccessary data, the authors mailed a letter and questionnaire to agency directors in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and three United States territories requesting the following information about both professionals: (1) job titles, (2) educational qualifications, (3) degrees in related fields the people hired for these jobs usually have, (4) requirements for certification by the American Association of Workers for the Blind (AA WB), (5) entry-level salary, (6) job duties, and (7) the territory the profession covers. The survey indicated that O&M specialists are more likely to need a master's degree than are rehabilitation teachers, AAWB certification is not required for either group, O&M specialists receive higher starting salaries, and their job duties are more specialized.
Sensory Aids: Commerical versus Research Interests
Authors: Strelow E. R.
Published: March 2020

A special forum for individuals to respond in detail to material published in the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness or to raise issues which relate to the specialized field of work with blind and visually handicapped persons. Contributions should be 350-1000 words in length.
A Sensory Experience Model for Teaching Measurement
Authors: Couvillon Lawrence A. , Tait Pearl E.
Published: March 2020

Many of the difficulties children have with measurement and estimation are caused by a lack of direct sensory experiences with the qualities they are asked to measure: length, weight, area, etc. This is especially true of the visually impaired child. While textbooks will provide rules and instructions for measuring, it is up to the teacher to provide the direct sensory experiences that will help the child understand the concepts he or she will later learn to measure. A model for teaching the concept of length in grades K through 8 is provided, with additional suggestions on teaching children to understand the concepts of area, temperature, capacity, weight, volume, angles and money or value.
The Development and Evaluation of a Tactile Graphics Kit
Authors: Barth John L.
Published: March 2020

Tactile graphic displays represent an important medium for communicating information to the blind. Because the need for such displays often cannot be met by standard mass production methods, practitioners have had to fabricate them on an individual basis. This article describes the development, evaluation, and testing of a kit which includes tools and information for facilitating the construction of readable tactile graphic displays.
Concurrent Validity of the Perkins-Binet Tests of Intelligence for the Blind
Authors: Teare John F. , Thompson Ronald W.
Published: March 2020

The concurrent validity of the recently published Perkins-Binet Tests of Intelligence for the Blind was examined. Twenty-eight students from a residential school for blind children served as subjects. Although high correlations were obtained between both forms of the Perkins-Binet and the Wechsler scales of intelligence, there were substantial differences in the standard deviations for the different tests. The authors recommend further evaluation of the Perkins-Binet tests.
Predictive Factors in Optacon Music-Reading
Authors: Bruscia Kenneth E. , Levinson Sandra
Published: March 2020

Systematic instruction in reading music with the Optacon was given to seven blind Optacon users with musical training. Reading speeds were computed as the number of notational figures accurately identified per minute. Comparisons of reading speeds according to score and figure variables showed that: (1) speed increases as the number of voices in a music staff increases, and whenever the voices move simultaneously rather than independently, (2) speed does not vary according to the number of staves in the score; however in two-stave scores, reading one at a time (horizontally) is faster that reading both at once (vertically), and (3) speed decreases as figure complexity increases, and as figure difficulty increases; however the degree of association found in both cases can be statistically questioned. Positive but insignificant correlations were found between reading speed and chronological age, and Optacon word-reading speed. No relationship was found between reading speed and the number of hours training received in Optacon music reading.
Resources on Mobility for the Physically Handicapped
Authors: Weinstock Robin
Published: March 2020

Strategies for working with physically handicapped blind people are covered only briefly in the orientation and mobility literature. Helpful resources for mobility instructors to gain a better understanding of unique problems of multihandicapped blind are listed.
When the Practitioner Becomes an Administrator: A Case Study
Authors: Nelipovich Michael , Inkster Douglas
Published: March 2020

Rehabilitation agency practioners often find themselves thrust into administrative roles. Agencies require skilled management, yet many practioners find they have no formal training in management skills as they assume their duties. A case study shows how this lack of training can lead to career tragedy. The author recommends that agencies expand career development programs to remedy the situation.
Self-Help Programs for People with Sight Loss
Authors: Winer Mimi
Published: March 2020

Self-help programs, developing from the needs of those they intend to serve, can become (along with traditional modes of providing services) an important model and ancillary vehicle for the delivery of quality services to people with sight loss. Because participants in self-help programs are both the providers and the consumers of the programs they initiate and maintain, the very nature of the delivery system itself fosters quality in those services delivered. This paper examines the efficacy of some self-help programs.
Using and Creating Visual Images: A New Task for Rehabilitation?
Authors: Ryerson Ned
Published: March 2020

A special forum for individuals to respond in detail to material published in the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness or to raise issues which relate to the specialized field of work with blind and visually handicapped persons. Contributions should be 350-1000 words in length.
Tangible Line Graphs: An Evaluation and Some Systematic Strategies for Exploration
Authors: Lederman Susan J. , Campbell Jamie I.
Published: March 2020

Describes initial research on developing and evaluating a tangible graphics system. A relatively simple format—the line graph—was investigated because it was a relatively direct translation from the standard visual format, yet provided the haptic system with sufficient information to be effective. Four display designs were evaluated: no grid, grid-on-graph, grid overlay, and grid underlay The grid-on-graph and grid underlay designs proved to be most effective, as determined by both performance (speed and accuracy) and user preference. The results suggest that tangible graphs are a viable source of spatial information for blind readers. Tactual exploration strategies are considered in detail, and several design improvements are proposed.
An Information System in the Private Sector
Authors: Gordon Arlene R. , Pollack Risa
Published: March 2020

Describes how the New York Association for the Blind studied its information needs, and further systematized information collection, retrieval, and use by means of a computerized Client Information System. Shows how the system's design is applicable in any service agency.
Use of the Computer as a Management Tool in the Rehabilitation Process
Authors: Moore J. Elton , Tipton Shirley J.
Published: March 2020

A synopsis of how one small agency utilized a data processing system to improve service delivery and enhance the cost-effectiveness of agency resources.
The Council of Citizens with Low Vision (CCLV): A Fast Growing Membership Organization
Authors: Brotman Marvin F.
Published: March 2020

A special forum for individuals to respond in detail to material published in the Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness or to raise issues which relate to the specialized field of work with blind and visually handicapped persons. Contributions should be 350-1000 words in length.
Assessing and Developing the Communications Abilities of Deaf-Blind Children
Authors: Schein Jerome D. , Kates Linda , Wolf Enid G. , Theil Linda
Published: March 2020

The Assessment-Intervention Model for Deaf-Blind Students (AIM) was field tested with 37 deaf-blind students, and their progress was compared to that of 40 students in schools using other curricula. Newly developed assessment techniques show that AIM is an effective means of educating deaf-blind students. Analysis of the assessment using the Behavior Rating Instrument for Autistic and Other Atypical Children (BRIAAC) supports claims for AIM's sensitivity to the small behavioral changes typical of these children. The results support the approaches to assessment and instruction exemplified by AIM and BRIAAC.
Cognitive Mapping in Blind People: Acquisition of Spatial Relationships in a Large-Scale Environment
Authors: Herman James F. , Chatman Steven P. , Roth Steven F.
Published: March 2020

Examines the spatial ability of sighted, blindfolded sighted, and congenitally blind subjects. They walked through an unfamiliar, large-scale space in which target locations could not be seen simultaneously and were then taken to each target location and asked the position of the other locations. Results indicate that past visual experience helps individuals to acquire spatial information from large-scale environments.
Letter Search by Braille Readers: Implications for Instruction
Authors: Krueger Lester E. , Ward Marjorie E.
Published: March 2020

Recent research indicates that braille letters, like print letters, are detected more rapidly and accurately in words than in nonwords (nonsense collections of letters). Thus, neither the word nor the individual letters dominate perception; instead, word and letter form a mutually beneficial partnership. The authors explore the implications for teaching braille readers and suggest that practice in character recognition in word contexts will enhance reading skill.
The Adolescent Visually Impaired Female
Authors: Mangold Sally S. , Mangold Philip N.
Published: March 2020

The authors examine the complexities of being an adolescent visually impaired female. The need for parental and professional support during these critical years is emphasized. Practical suggestions for intervention are offered.
Aggression in the Dreams of Blind Women
Authors: Kirtley Donald D. , Sabo Kenneth T.
Published: March 2020

Compared a group of visually handicapped adult females and normally sighted college females for nature of aggressive content in nocturnal dreams. The visually handicapped group was comprised of individuals who were partially sighted, congenitally blind and adventitiously blind. Each subject was required to keep a dream diary for a period of two to four months. Diaries were subsequently content-analyzed by means of the aggression scale of the Hall-Van de Castle content-analysis system. Visually handicapped adults, as a group, exhibited far more verbal and covert aggression. Generally, however, findings were in agreement with Hall's continuity hypothesis regarding the relationship between dream content and waking life.
Breaking Tradition—Planning and Organizing a Conference on Education and Employment Opportunities
Authors: Jones Robert
Published: March 2020

Many diverse elements were brought together to plan and execute an unprecedented conference focused on the employment and career-planning needs of blind and visually handicapped women. This article provides a blueprint of the process from beginning to end.
Role Model: Building a Body of Experience
Authors: Kent Deborah
Published: March 2020

A personal biography demonstrating the need for perseverance, flexibility, and refusal to be cast in the stereotyped role of a blind woman.
The Expansion of Educational Opportunities
Authors: Roberts Ferne K.
Published: March 2020

Traditional special education programs for disabled students so often tend to curtail decision-making experiences that students are unprepared for adult responsibilities. Career choices for both men and women with visual impairments may be blunted by fear of failure as well as by role stereotyping. There are numerous resources that can help with self-assessment and realistic career decisions. Some are generic, and go beyond the vocational rehabilitation system. Growing opportunities for lifelong education, and federal and industrial job-training programs, open new vistas. Undergraduate education now increasingly focuses on job-preparation courses.
Visual Function: A Theoretical Model for Individuals with Low Vision
Authors: Corn Anne L.
Published: March 2020

One's ability to function visually is determined by many factors. A theoretical model is proposed that organizes these factors into a pliable three-dimensional structure composed of visual abilities, available resources and past experiences, and environmental cues. Professionals can use the model to postulate how to elicit visual behaviors or to maximize visual function in individuals with low vision.
Teaching Visually Impaired Adults with a Neuromuscular Disorder
Authors: Williams Susan
Published: March 2020

Many visually impaired clients may be affected by a neuromuscular disorder that requires special consideration by the rehabilitation teacher. This article describes four such disorders—stroke, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and Lou Gehrig's disease—and discusses rehabilitation priorities and aids and appliances that help clients cope with their condition.
Behavioral Treatment of Aggression and Self-Injury in Developmentally Disabled, Visually Handicapped Students
Authors: Luiselli James K. , Michaud Ronald L.
Published: March 2020

Management problems are often encountered among developmentally disabled populations. The authors describe behavior modification treatment procedures that were applied by direct-care staff in a residential school to control severe aggression and self-injury in two developmentally disabled, visually handicapped students. In one case, the aggressive and self-injurious behaviors of an 11-year-old with vision and hearing deficits were reduced by positive-practice overcorrection. In the other, a blind adolescent's self-injurious behavior was eliminated by a combination of restitutional overcorrection, verbal command, and response-immobilization techniques. The practicality of applying behavioral treatment procedures in educational settings for visually handicapped students is discussed.
Modular Tactual Mapping of a University Campus
Authors: Day Margaret R.
Published: March 2020

An examination of the use and construction of maps for blind and visually impaired peole, with report on exemplary work done at the University of Texas at Austin.
A Subjective Approach to Eccentric Viewing Training
Authors: Maplesden Caroline
Published: March 2020

Describes a method whereby patients with a central vision loss may increase the clarity of their vision by using the parafoveal area of the retina. In using this method, patients move their eyes rather than their heads and subjectively choose their best direction of gaze.
Using Self-Directed Search with Blind Adults
Authors: Winer J.L. , White H.E. , Smith R.
Published: March 2020

Blind adult members (N = 43; 25 female, 18 male) of a cassette tape-sharing group were administered Holland's Self-Directed Search (SDS) either by cassette tape or with the help of a reader. In both cases, an assistant marked the answers on the SDS form and computed the scale scores. Mean scores and standard deviations were calculated for each of the six Holland personality types for both male and female participants. Results showed that the Social (S) type had the highest means for both men and women. A majority of the women obtained S as the first letter of their Holland code. S was also the most common first letter code for the men. Means were computed for agreement between SDS codes and first occupational daydream codes, using both the Zener-Schnuelle Index and the hexagonal model. A comparison between these means and normative data revealed that blind male agreement scores on the Zener-Schnuelle Index were lower than those for the normative data. Participants’ Holland codes were also compared to codes considered common and rare.
Teaching a Foreign Language in Schools for Blind and Visually Impaired Children
Authors: Nikolic T.
Published: March 2020

Blind and visually impaired children can be taught to speak, read, and write foreign languages if the techniques and materials are adapted to capitalize on their strengths, including excellent memory and good hearing. In this article, the author draws on the scant literature, his experience as a blind teacher in a school for the blind in Yugoslavia, and his tour of British schools for the blind to extrapolate general principles for successful teaching and the application of appropriate methods and approaches.
Microcomputer Applications with Visually Impaired Preschool-Aged Children
Authors: Rettig M. , Shaklett E. , Wyrsch M.
Published: March 2020

Computer technology offers young visually impaired children new and fun ways of learning. Children at CCVI have enjoyed their computer experiences and have been able to practice needed skills through many different software programs. Our work has demonstrated that even young visually impaired children are able to use and benefit from computers. Work needs to continue in order for them to use more sophisticated types of computer hardware.
The Role of the Special Education Teacher-Counselor in Meeting Students’ Self-Esteem Needs
Authors: Tuttle D.W.
Published: March 2020

Teachers of the visually impaired play a critical role in the development of affective growth within the children and youth they serve. The impact of a visual impairment on the emergence of the self, self-concept, and self-esteem must be understood before intervention strategies can be effectively employed. Each of the phases of the adjusting process in response to either social stigma or vision loss requires a somewhat different focus in counseling efforts. Whether they admit it or not, teachers are counselors—for better or worse. The article concludes with a look at some of the attributes and behaviors that promote affective growth.
Rehabilitation in Canada's North
Authors: Garber-Conrad B.
Published: March 2020

An unusually high rate of visual impairment among Dogrip people in isolated communities of Canada's Northwest Territories has led the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) to embark on a three-year program. The Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) has made $60,000 available for the program. Initial assessment revealed several critical needs that are now being addressed.
Vision Screening in a Private Agency for Blind Persons
Authors: McEwen B. A.
Published: March 2020

In areas where large-scale, public vision screening is nonexistent or limited, the private agency for blind people should consider providing one or more vision screening services. The Sight Center became involved in such a program in 1966, and for 20 years has found it to be quite cost-effective while providing a valuable service throughout the service territory. Our experience demonstrates that a sight conservation program creates a large reservoir of goodwill in the community by involving volunteers, identifying individuals with potential vision problems and, in many cases, helping prevent those people from becoming blind. Screenings are needed by all age groups—preschool, school-age, adults and the elderly.
Experiential Perspectives on Aging and Vision
Authors: Calvani D. , Capezuti E. , Mollé P.
Published: March 2020

This article is a report by nurse practitioners of their clinical experiences in caring for elderly clients, through the presentation of case examples based on a paradigm they developed for comprehensive assessment and planning, with the client as the central team member. The paradigm includes four “sensory” areas: (1) what you see, (2) what you hear, (3) what flavors you perceive and (4) what you can touch.
Caring for and Communicating with Blind and Visually Impaired Elderly Persons
Authors: Bentz L.N.
Published: March 2020

This article outlines behaviorial indicators of visual impairment and offers suggestions that will help nurses care for patients who have lost sight gradually and who are now either blind or visually impaired. These guidelines are particularly important for patients in hospital or extended care units, although they will also help community health nurses recognize the signs of visual impairment in home-bound patients.
Attitudes toward Exercise in Institutions for Elderly Residents
Authors: Carlson S. Rapp; C.
Published: March 2020

Increasing behaviors to promote health, such as exercise, among nursing homes for elderly residents is a widely acknowledged goal (Craig, 1982). Research suggests that behavioral technologies can be useful for increasing exercise in this population (Perkins, Rapp, Carlson, & Wallace, 1986). However, before implementing sometimes elaborate behavioral change programs, it is helpful to assess the staff's and residents’ attitudes toward the proposed change. The present study followed a small-scale pilot project that increased stationary bike riding by 74 percent for 8 nursing home residents. Before attempting a large-scale intervention, however, the authors decided to evaluate the staff's and residents’ attitudes toward the exercise.
Rehabilitation in Daily Living Skills: Effects on Anxiety and Self-Worth in Elderly Blind Persons
Authors: Hensley M.
Published: March 2020

The levels of anxiety of 20 recently blinded elderly clients in the Independent Living Rehabilitation Program of the Dallas Lighthouse for the Blind were measured using the American Foundation for the Blind's Anxiety Scale for the Blind. It was hypothesized that recently blinded elderly persons would have a lower degree of anxiety after receiving instruction in daily living skills—a hypothesis that the findings confirmed.
Services to Blind and Visually Impaired Children and Adults: Who is Responsible?
Authors: Harrell R.L. , Curry S.A.
Published: March 2020

Quality education and rehabilitation programs for blind and visually impaired individuals may be threatened by the philosophy of service to disabled people currently prevailing at the federal level. This philosophy would treat blind and visually impaired persons as though their needs were the same as those of other handicapped persons. In fact, sometimes the needs coincide; sometimes they do not. Proper service delivery can be ensured only by understanding this philosophy, becoming aware of its subtle and overt impact on programs for people with visual impairments, and acting in concert with others who have similar concerns.
The Impact of Change on Professionals in the Field of Blindness
Authors: Bina M.J.
Published: March 2020

The paper raises the question of whether fear of impending change, dissatisfaction with lack of change, or discontent with too many actual changes affects a professional's morale, enthusiasm, persistence, and desire to stay in the field. Examples of past and current changes in the field of education and rehabilitation for the visually handicapped are presented to illustrate the individual professional's attitudes regarding change, how change has occurred, and how the individual is affected or can directly influence future changes. Questions regarding potential future changes in the field are raised and the idea that the field is at a crossroads is advanced.
Role of Electronic Travel Aids: Field Applications of the Russell Pathsounder
Authors: Joffee E.
Published: March 2020

The Russell Pathsounder has been used successfully as a secondary travel aid to enable a partially sighted man to retain his job as a floor supervisor in a sheltered workshop, and to enable a neurologically impaired teenager, dependent on a support cane, to develop outdoor orientation and mobility skills. These somewhat unique applications of the Pathsounder indicate that, despite an apparent consensus of disappointment in electronic travel aids, these aids can play a very important part in O&M and in developing a creative approach to the rehabilitation of visually impaired clients with complex needs.
Retrospective Survey to Investigate Use of Distance Magnifiers for Travel
Authors: Hall A. , Bailey I.L. , Kekelis L.S. , Raasch T.W. , Goodrich G.L.
Published: March 2020

Seventy-eight subjects from the Western Blind Rehabilitation Center at the Palo Alto Veterans Administration Hospital and 34 subjects from the U.C. Berkeley Low Vision Center were surveyed to investigate the use of distance magnifiers for travel. Information is reported regarding demographic characteristics, vision characteristics, usual travel patterns, characteristics of telescopes used by the subjects, telescope training, and travel habits with telescopic devices, along with similarities and differences between the two groups.
The Attainment of Conservation by Visually Impaired Children in Taiwan
Authors: Wan-Lin M.M. , Tait P.E.
Published: March 2020

A study to investigate the differences in cognitive development between sighted and visually impaired children in the Republic of China, as measured by Piagetian tasks of conservation, indicated that age and vision were two significant variables contributing to the attainment of conservation with young visually impaired children, who were more apt to be nonconservers; the order of difficulty of eight conservation tasks for the partially sighted children was more similar to that of the sighted children than to that of the blind children, with the blind children differing greatly from both the partially sighted and the sighted children; a one-to-four-year developmental lag in the attainment of conservation was found in blind children compared to the sighted and partially sighted children; blind children made up these development delays at the age of 11; and the explanations given by the conservers among the sighted, partially sighted and blind children were similar; the explanations given by the blind and partially sighted nonconservers, however, demonstrated more variability than those of the sighted nonconservers.
Locus of Control and Adaptive Behavior in Visually Impaired Children
Authors: Parsons S.
Published: March 2020

Locus of control for academic achievement and correlating competencies in adaptive behavior were measured in a group of residential school children of normal intelligence and singularly impaired. There were both low vision and totally blind students in the sample. The Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Questionnaire (IAR) and the new Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS) were administered. For the total group, responsibility for positive intellectual achievement events correlated significantly with increase in Adaptive Behavior scores. Discussion highlights the importance of facilitating development of skills of independence to enhance self-responsibility for academic and other life events in visually impaired children.
Blindness and Managing the Environment
Authors: Mettler R.
Published: March 2020

Existing and proposed environmental modifications are analyzed by means of the model of a competently trained, blind person's movement in both the physical and the attitudinal environment. The motivation to modify the environment is believed to grow out of a lack of understanding of the role that personal knowledge, judgment, and skill play in a blind person's understanding and management of external reality. In the absence of this understanding, the abilities of blind people are minimized greatly, resulting in a custodial response termed “neoinstitutionalization.”
Are Social Skills Teachable? A Review of the Literature
Authors: Erin J.N. , Dignan K. , Brown P.A.
Published: March 2020

This article reviews studies that have attempted to increase three types of social skills in blind and visually impaired individuals: assertiveness training, interactional skills, and skills in physical communication. Each study is described briefly, and the procedures and results are noted. Most of the studies reported increased social skills following intervention; however, many did not report empirical evidence of change. The articles also demonstrate a need for the follow-up and generalization of learned skills, as well as for the application of skills with preadolescent children.