3. Research
Goal:
To support and/or conduct research relating to vision loss to ensure the continued provision of innovative and relevant services by NCBI and the public and private sectors as a whole, as well as the development of eye health initiatives.
Two EU-funded projects finished during 2009.
KnowProVIP
The aim of the project was to develop training for professionals working with people with vision impairments to enhance and strengthen their knowledge and expertise.
The partnership designed, developed, and piloted three courses for training professionals, working with persons with vision impairments in the three target group areas (refugees/immigrants, people aged 60 and over and people who have acquired hearing impairment). NCBI, together with our colleagues from VISIO in the Netherlands, was responsible for developing and delivering the course for professionals working with people who had acquired a hearing impairment. The project results and course handbooks can be downloaded as PDF files from www.knowprovip.dk.
Evision 55+
This project aimed to facilitate and encourage people over the age of 55 with sight loss to increase their participation in society and life opportunities. An interactive website was especially created for the target group (www.vision55plus.net). This website provides the following modules for participants, free of charge: information on age related sight loss and compensatory mechanisms, daily living skills, computer skills, and internet skills.
New Projects for 2009/2010
NCBI is a partner in two new EU-funded projects which commenced in the last quarter of 2009.
ICFProVIP
Disability is not a standardised term. The ICF is an international classification of health and health-related domains approved and published by the World Health Organisation in 2001. Its aim is to provide the standard to describe and measure health and disability on an international basis. This project aims to provide the groundwork for exploring the incorporation of ICF into an assessment tool by the individual organisations within the partnership.
BRAVIS
The BRAVIS project is proposing to develop a new navigation aid for people with sight loss. It aims to develop an unobtrusive technology that will facilitate and enhance the navigation skills of people with sight loss, and will be used in conjunction with current mobility skills. NCBI will be involved in establishing user requirements, testing and validation of the newly developed technology, and dissemination of information about the project.
Research on Older people with sight loss
Bláithín Gallagher, from NCBI’s research and projects department, successfully completed her PhD research entitled “A cross border comparative study of the vision related quality of life of urban and rural dwelling people aged 60 years and older who are registrable as vision impaired in Ireland” during 2009.
This research evaluated the effects of vision impairment on people aged 60 and over on the island of Ireland, so that service providers can prepare appropriate and effective health care strategies in light of changing demographics. Participants for this study were selected from the databases of vision impaired persons in the Republic and North of Ireland.
Over 50% of those interviewed were living alone and 73% reported difficulty in getting around, while 64% had fallen and over 60% had received injuries as a result of their fall. Only 12.6% had received full formal mobility training. Dependency on family support was high, particularly for transport. The majority found public transport very difficult to use even where it was frequently available. Service providers and peer support groups were singled out for special praise.