Add your Insight

Globally, the estimated number of people living with a visual impairment is nearly 1.3 billion; this number is expected to increase with the aging of the population (World Health Organization, 2018).  As such, there is a growing need for generalist and specialist occupational therapy practitioners to be able to assess and address the impact of visual impairments on occupational performance across the lifespan.  Generalist occupational therapy practitioners should have the skills necessary to complete a visual screening, assess person-environment fit, address high-risk activities such as medication management, falls, and depression, and make referrals to the occupational therapy practitioner with specialized knowledge for continued vision rehabilitation (Warren, 2017).  To assist in meeting this need, this special issue will focus on current, evidence based assessment and intervention literature and expand the body of knowledge for occupational therapy practitioners.

Occupational Therapy in Health Care (OTHC) is an international peer-reviewed quarterly journal that focuses on innovations in client evaluations and treatments, current research findings, reviews of current textbooks, and descriptions of novel programs. In addition, OTHC publishes thematic issues that address topics of importance.  This special thematic issue will focus on visual impairments and low vision rehabilitation.

Drs. Jennifer Kaldenberg, Monica Perlmutter, and Orli Weisser-Pike are delighted to be the guest editors of this special OTHC issue. Our intent is to publish this special issue on the topic of visual impairments and low vision rehabilitation in October 2020. Submissions that support advancing the knowledge of occupational therapy evaluation and intervention for generalist and specialist occupational therapy practitioners are welcomed.

We seek a broad range of original contributions including, but not limited to original research, case studies, historical perspectives, and commentaries. Submissions may address a wide range of topics such as:

• Innovative models of service delivery
• Assessment tools
• Interventions and technologies for people with low vision to promote aging in place
• Policies impacting people with visual impairments or low vision
• Challenges affecting service provision for children with visual impairments
• Role of occupational therapy in addressing the needs of children with visual impairments (including CVI)
• Collaboration between professions in vision rehabilitation
• Gaps in education and training of occupational therapy practitioners
• Historical accounts of service delivery

Warren, M. (2017). How occupational therapy has shaped the field of low vision

rehabilitation: Our past, present and future.  AOTA Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA

World Health Organization. (2018). Blindness and vision impairment.  Retrieved from:

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment

All papers will be peer-reviewed through a double-blind peer-review process.

Original, unpublished manuscripts should be submitted online at https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/WOHC by February 28, 2021

When submitting your manuscript, please be sure to indicate that it is to be considered for the special issue on visual impairment and low vision rehabilitation in your cover letter.

Any papers accepted for publication that are not included in the special issue will be published in a regular issue of the journal. Specific inquiries can be directed to Dr. Anne Dickerson, editor of OTHC at [email protected].

Instructions for AuthorsSubmit an Article