Factors related to the use of magnifying low vision aids: a scoping review

Lorenzini, Marie-Céline; Wittich, Walter

doi:10.1080/09638288.2019.1593519

Cited by 37 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…While affordability of assistive technology and access to rehabilitation services remain an important question for many with DSI in India due to limited resources and paying capacity (Jaiswal et al, 2019a,b), assistive technology and rehabilitation services are provided at no-or nominal cost to those with DSI in many parts of Canada, in particular in Quebec where our study was conducted (Wittich et al, 2012(Wittich et al, , 2014. Both scenarios present their own set of challenges, where in India access to technology or services remains a big challenge (Paul et al, 2016;World Health Organization, 2018;Jaiswal et al, in press), training in the use of assistive devices, and their abandonment remains a problem with service users in high-income countries such as Canada (Wittich et al, 2016b;Lorenzini and Wittich, 2019). It is interesting to note that across different settings and contexts there are common challenges throughout the world with regards to DSI and human rights (World Federation of the Deafblind, 2018; Simcock and Wittich, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Barriers and Facilitators That Influence Social Participation in Older Adults With Dual Sensory Impairment

2020

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Introduction: The proportion of older adults with combined acquired vision and hearing impairments (referred to as Dual Sensory Impairment/DSI) is growing, and their unique care needs are beginning to receive increased attention. Considering the age-related demographic shift, one million older adults in Canada are expected to experience DSI by 2036, and evidence suggests that DSI is associated with communication difficulties, cognitive decline, depression, functional decline, and participation challenges. Given that the goal of sensory rehabilitation is to improve participation, the study explored perceived contextual barriers and facilitators of social participation among older adults with DSI to better understand their lived experience. Methods: The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) was used as a framework to identify and describe the contextual factors (environmental and personal) that influence the social participation of older adults with DSI. Sixteen older adults with DSI (mean age = 86 years, SD = 7; 9 female; registered with an urban sensory rehabilitation organization) were interviewed using a semi-structured qualitative interview guide. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and then analyzed using a content analysis approach. Results: Environmental factors, such as societal attitudes toward disability, access to technology aids, and availability of transportation services emerged as the most important factors influencing participation. The onset and type of the impairments and attitude toward one's disability were important personal factors affecting the participation. The availability of social support and the use of assistive devices (e.g., magnifiers, glasses, and hearing aids) were reported to be facilitators. In contrast, the inaccessibility of the built environment and the cost and limited availability of accessible transportation were key barriers to their social participation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Barriers and Facilitators That Influence Social Participation in Older Adults With Dual Sensory Impairment

2020

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“…Rather than developing an LVA that only supports few very common tasks, it would hence be beneficial to develop for as broad a task range as possible to maximize uptake. It remains uncertain which factors are most important when predicting device uptake, where there is, for example, disagreement between studies on the predictive power of use frequency for the perceived benefit (Lorenzini & Wittich, 2019). Ensuring that LVA design maps onto people's individual lifestyles may be a key factor leading to uptake.…”

Section: What Everyday Activities Require Support Through Lvas?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Everyday visual demands of people with low vision: A mixed methods real-life recording study

et al. 2020

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Research has demonstrated that low vison aids (LVAs) can have a positive impact on the functional sight of those living with sight loss. Step changes in technology are now enabling new wearable LVAs with greater potential than those available previously. For these novel devices to receive increased acceptance and therefore adoption by those with sight loss, visual task demands have to be understood more clearly in order to enable better alignment between device design and user requirements. The aim of this study was to quantify these requirements. Thirty-two participants aged 18 to 87 wore a spectacle-mounted video camera to capture and narrate all everyday situations in which they would use a "perfect" sight aid during 1 week. Captured scenes were analyzed through categorization and computational image analysis. Results showed large variation in activities and lifestyles. Participants reported no available sight aid or coping strategy for 57% of the recorded activities. Reading made up 49% of all recorded tasks, the other half comprising non-textual information. Overall, 75% of captured activities were performed ad hoc (duration of 0-5 minutes), 78% occurred indoors, 58% occurred at home, 48% were lit by natural light, 68% included the object of interest within reach, and 69% required a single focus plane only. Around half of captured objects of interest had a size of 2 degrees visual angle (2.08 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution [logMAR]) or smaller. This study highlights the need for a sight aid that can make both textual and non-textual scenes accessible while offering flexibility to accommodate individual lifestyles.

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“…The disconnect between user needs and device design choices may be one reason for the limited uptake of LVAs, which has been noted for many years in both children and adults 23,24 . In a recent review, factors leading to LVA abandonment included devices being too heavy, taking up too much space, suffering from poor ergonomics, being considered impractical for handling, limited technical performance, insufficient magnifying power, time‐consuming operation, poor ease of use or substantial maintenance requirements 24 . Particularly, LVAs for distance vision have been found to be abandoned or disused rather commonly 25 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design considerations for the ideal low vision aid: insights from de‐brief interviews following a real‐world recording study

Golubova

Starke

Crossland

et al. 2021

Ophthalmic Physiologic Optic

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Purpose Low Vision Aids (LVAs) can have a transformative impact on people living with sight loss, yet the everyday requirements for developing such devices remain poorly understood and defined. This study systematically explored LVA requirements through a structured de‐brief interview following a real‐world self‐recording study. The purpose of this work was to define the actual needs of those living with sight loss so that low vision services can better address them in future. Methods Thirty‐two visually impaired volunteers with varying levels of previous LVA experience participated in a de‐brief interview centred around a structured questionnaire. The de‐brief followed a one‐week real‐world study during which participants used recoding spectacles to capture and narrate all situations in which they would use a ‘perfect sight aid’. Content and thematic analyses were used to analyse interviews which had the purpose of contextualising these recordings and exploring requirements around psychological, functional and design factors. Results Participants reported that 46% of tasks which they had recorded were most important to them. Of these tasks, 82% were encountered frequently. Few tasks emerged as very important across many participants, the remaining tasks reflecting individual lifestyles or circumstances. Every participant used at least one LVA in their everyday life and 72% identified further coping strategies. Current LVAs identified as consistently poor were distance LVAs, with all other devices receiving mixed or only positive feedback. Around two‐thirds of participants would prefer LVA use on an ad‐hoc / quick access basis rather than over long periods of time, and just over half would prefer to carry it rather than wearing it all day. Lack of consistency in these responses illustrated potentially different user clusters with divergent design needs. Two‐thirds of participants emphasised the desire for a discreet LVA that does not attract attention. However, since half of all participants felt self‐conscious in public or in front of other people when wearing the small recording spectacles, this may not be technically achievable. Conclusions There is a substantial opportunity for new LVAs to address visual needs that traditional devices and coping strategies cannot support. Functional, psychological and design factors require careful consideration for future LVAs to be relevant and widely adopted.

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Factors related to the use of magnifying low vision aids: a scoping review

Cited by 37 publications

References 64 publications

Barriers and Facilitators That Influence Social Participation in Older Adults With Dual Sensory Impairment

Barriers and Facilitators That Influence Social Participation in Older Adults With Dual Sensory Impairment

Everyday visual demands of people with low vision: A mixed methods real-life recording study

Design considerations for the ideal low vision aid: insights from de‐brief interviews following a real‐world recording study

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