Reading aids for adults with low vision.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Virgili G
PROVIDER: S-EPMC6494537 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:SignificanceAccess to digital text is increasingly widespread, but its impact on low-vision reading is not well understood.PurposeWe conducted an online survey of people with low vision to determine what assistive technologies they use for visual reading, their preferred text characteristics, and the time they devote to reading digital and hard-copy text.MethodsOne hundred thirty-three low-vision participants completed an online survey. Participants reported the nature and history of their low vision, their usage of different assistive technologies, and time devoted to five visual reading activities.ResultsThe three largest diagnostic categories were albinism (n = 36), retinitis pigmentosa (n = 20), and glaucoma (n = 15). Mean self-reported acuity was 0.93 logMAR (range, 0.1 to 1.6 logMAR). Mean age was 46 years (range, 18 to 98 years). Participants reported on percentage time spent reading using vision, audio, or touch (braille). Seventy-five percent of our participants did more than 50% of their reading visually. Across five categories of reading activities-work or education, news, pleasure, spot reading, and social networking-participants reported more time spent on digital reading than hard-copy reading. Eighty-nine percent of our participants used at least one technology from each of our two major categories of assistive technologies (digital content magnifiers and hard-copy content magnifiers) for visual reading.ConclusionsDespite the growing availability of digital text in audio or braille formats, our findings from an online sample of people with low vision indicate the continuing importance of visual reading. Our participants continue to use technology to access both hard-copy and digital text, but more time is devoted to digital reading. Our findings highlight the need for continued research and development of technology to enhance visual reading accessibility.
| S-EPMC7172011 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundMNREAD is an advanced near-vision acuity chart that has already been translated and validated in Greek language. Considering that no validated Greek digital near-vision test exists, our primary objective was to develop and validate a digital near-vision reading test based on the fundamental properties of the Greek printed MNREAD (MNREAD-GR).MethodsThis is a prospective, comparative study. A digital near-vision chart was developed (Democritus Digital Acuity Reading Test - DDART) with text size calibration, audio recording for automatic reading timing, as well as automatic calculation of reading acuity (RA), maximum reading speed (MRS), critical print size (CPS) and reading accessibility index (ACC). Normal and low vision subjects participated in the validation process, responding to MNREAD-GR and DDART at the same day, at a 40?cm viewing distance. Differences in all parameters between the charts were compared with t-test and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Within 15?days, all participants responded again to DDART in a different set of sentences to assess its test-retest reliability.ResultsOne hundred patients (normal vision group - NVG: 70 patients; low vision group - LVG: 30 patients) responded to both reading tests. Non-significant differences were detected for all parameters between DDART and MNREAD-GR except for MRS and ACC that were significantly higher in MNREAD-GR in NVG (p?<? 0.01). NVG participants demonstrated sufficient ICCs that ranged from 0.854 to 0.963, while LVG demonstrated ICCs for RA, ACC, MRS and CPS equal to 0.986, 0.894, 0.794 and 0.723, respectively. All parameters calculated with DDART demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability (ICCs: 0.903 - 0.956).ConclusionsThe proposed reading test presented comparable validity and repeatability to MNREAD-GR suggesting that it can be used both in normal and low vision Greek patients.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04242836. Registered 24 January 2020 - Retrospectively registered.
| S-EPMC7579962 | biostudies-literature
Project description:PurposeMost people with low vision experience difficulty with reading. Reading assessment can provide guidance for prescription of reading aids and strategies for reading rehabilitation. Here we investigate the effectiveness of letter acuity (LA) and reading acuity (RA) as predictors of low-vision reading performance.MethodsLow-vision subjects (n = 58), young control subjects (n = 52), and older control subjects (n = 14) participated in this study. The low-vision subjects were separated into a Macular group (n = 30) and a Nonmacular group (n = 28) based on whether the diagnoses primarily affected the macular area. LA was measured with the Lighthouse Distance Visual Acuity Chart and RA with the MNREAD Acuity Chart. Reading speeds were obtained across a range of print sizes from the MNREAD test. The MNREAD data were used to estimate required print sizes for three functionally important types of reading for each subject: spot reading (40 words/min [wpm]), fluent reading (80 wpm), and critical print size (required to achieve maximum reading speed).ResultsFor equal values of LA, the Macular group had significantly worse RA than the Nonmacular group. The differences between vision groups, as well as individual variations within groups, were largely explained by the differences in RA. RA is a better predictor than LA for spot reading size, fluent reading size, and critical print size.ConclusionsRA may provide more accurate assessment of reading performance than LA for purposes of low-vision reading rehabilitation.
| S-EPMC6181187 | biostudies-literature
Project description:PurposeLow vision reduces text visibility and causes difficulties in reading. A valid low-vision simulation could be used to evaluate the accessibility of digital text for readers with low vision. We examined the validity of a digital simulation for replicating the text visibility and reading performance of low-vision individuals.MethodsLow-vision visibility was modeled with contrast sensitivity functions (CSFs) with parameters to represent reduced acuity and contrast sensitivity. Digital filtering incorporating these CSFs were applied to digital versions of the Lighthouse Letter Acuity Chart and the Pelli-Robson Contrast Sensitivity Chart. Reading performance (reading acuity, critical print size, and maximum reading speed) was assessed with filtered versions of the MNREAD reading acuity Chart. Thirty-six normally sighted young adults completed chart testing under normal and simulated low-vision conditions. Fifty-eight low-vision subjects (thirty with macular pathology and twenty-eight with non-macular pathology) and fifteen normally sighted older subjects completed chart testing with their habitual viewing. We hypothesized that the performance of the normally sighted young adults under simulated low-vision conditions would match the corresponding performance of actual low-vision subjects.ResultsWhen simulating low-vision conditions with visual acuity better than 1.50 logMAR (Snellen 20/630) and contrast sensitivity better than 0.15 log unit, the simulation adequately reduced the acuity and contrast sensitivity in normally sighted young subjects to the desired low-vision levels. When performing the MNREAD test with simulated low vision, the normally sighted young adults had faster maximum reading speed than both the Non-macular and Macular groups, by an average of 0.07 and 0.12 log word per minute, respectively. However, they adequately replicated the reading acuity as well as the critical print size, up to 2.00 logMAR of both low-vision groups.ConclusionA low-vision simulation based on clinical measures of visual acuity and contrast sensitivity can provide good estimates of reading performance and the accessibility of digital text for a broad range of low-vision conditions.
| S-EPMC8287255 | biostudies-literature
Project description:SignificancePhotographic depiction helps to illustrate the primary and secondary field of view effects of low vision devices along with their utility to clinicians, patients, and caretakers. This technique may also be helpful for designers and researchers in improving the design and fitting of low vision devices.PurposeThe field of view through spectacles-mounted low vision devices has typically been evaluated using perimetry. However, the perimetric field diagram is different from the retinal image and often fails to represent the important aspects of the field of view and visual parameters. We developed a photographic depiction method to record and veridically show the field of view effects of these devices.MethodsWe used a 3D-printed holder to place spectacles-mounted devices at the same distance from the empirically determined reference point of the field of view in a camera lens (f = 16 mm) as they would be from an eye, when in use. The field of view effects of a bioptic telescope, a minifier (reverse telescope), and peripheral prisms were captured using a conventional camera, representing retinal images. The human eye pupil size (adjusting the F number: f/2.8 to f/8 and f/22 in the camera lens) and fitting parameters (pantoscopic tilt and back vertex distance) varied.ResultsReal-world indoor and outdoor walking and driving scenarios were depicted as retinal images illustrating the field of view through low vision devices, distinguishing optical and obscuration scotomas, and demonstrating secondary effects (spatial distortions, viewpoint changes, diplopia, spurious reflection, and multiplexing effects) not illustrated by perimetric field diagrams.ConclusionsPhotographic depiction illustrates the primary and secondary field of view effects of the low vision devices. These images highlight the benefit and possible trade-offs of the low vision devices and may be beneficial in education and training.
| S-EPMC8560063 | biostudies-literature
Project description:SignificanceThis pilot study provides some insight about the potential benefits of telerehabilitation training to improve the reading ability of adults with low vision using magnifiers, to spur future work with larger groups. Telerehabilitation services can be implemented clinically to facilitate access to follow-up care for low vision.PurposeA recent Cochrane systematic review revealed that there are no published visual function outcomes for telerehabilitation with handheld magnification devices for low vision; thus, this study aimed to provide evidence for its preliminary efficacy.MethodsOne to 4 months after receiving a new magnification device (i.e., handheld or stand optical magnifier or portable electronic magnifier), 14 adult low vision patients (with any visual acuity level or ocular diagnosis) received two training sessions at home via telerehabilitation with their vision rehabilitation provider located remotely in-office. Telerehabilitation included a loaner smartphone for Zoom videoconferencing with remote control access software. The Minnesota Low-Vision Reading Test was administered during each of the telerehabilitation sessions to assess near reading (acuity and speed) with the new magnifier.ResultsMean reading acuity with the magnifier was 0.17 logMAR across subjects before training at telerehabilitation session 1, which significantly improved to 0.09 on average a few weeks later at telerehabilitation session 2 (95%confidence interval, -0.001 to -0.16; P = .047). Logarithm reading speed with the magnifier for the reading acuity level at session 1 improved significantly by 0.18 log words per minute on average for the same text size at session 2 (95% confidence interval, 0.06 to 0.29; P = .002). With the magnifier at session 2, 71% of participants gained at least 0.1 log unit in reading acuity, and half improved by >0.01 in log reading speed; all participants with increased reading speed also improved in reading acuity ( P = .02).ConclusionsThese preliminary data support that telerehabilitation can enhance reading ability and efficiency with newly prescribed magnifiers as an alternative option to in-office vision rehabilitation.
| S-EPMC10062923 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Significant difficulties in reading comprehension, despite attendance of compulsory schooling, are a worldwide phenomenon. While previous research on adults with low literacy skills focused primarily on their reading ability, less is known about their oral language skills. In this Brief Research Report, we present an investigation of the listening comprehension skills of a selected group of German-speaking young adults, whose reading comprehension is at a primary school level (n = 32, ages 16 to 19 years). In addition, the relationship between listening comprehension and reading comprehension, beyond word reading skills, was tested. Standardized tests of reading and listening comprehension in the German language were administered. The average performance of the group in the listening comprehension tasks was below the level expected by age and educational level. In addition, when entered into a stepwise regression equation, listening comprehension, but not word reading, explained a significant amount of variance in reading comprehension. This pattern of relationship differs from previous findings in studies of adults struggling to read the opaque English orthography. Whether orthographic transparency explains this discrepancy should be further tested in cross-orthography studies with larger samples of adults with low literacy skills.
| S-EPMC10433201 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionLow vision and blindness adversely affect education and independence of children and young people. New 'assistive' technologies such as tablet computers can display text in enlarged font, read text out to the user, allow speech input and conversion into typed text, offer document and spreadsheet processing and give access to wide sources of information such as the internet. Research on these devices in low vision has been limited to case series.Methods and analysisWe will carry out a pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) to assess the feasibility of a full RCT of assistive technologies for children/young people with low vision. We will recruit 40 students age 10-18 years in India and the UK, whom we will randomise 1:1 into two parallel groups. The active intervention will be Apple iPads; the control arm will be the local standard low-vision aid care. Primary outcomes will be acceptance/usage, accessibility of the device and trial feasibility measures (time to recruit children, lost to follow-up). Exploratory outcomes will be validated measures of vision-related quality of life for children/young people as well as validated measures of reading and educational outcomes. In addition, we will carry out semistructured interviews with the participants and their teachers.Ethics and disseminationNRES reference 15/NS/0068; dissemination is planned via healthcare and education sector conferences and publications, as well as via patient support organisations.Trial registration numberNCT02798848; IRAS ID 179658, UCL reference 15/0570.
| S-EPMC5541522 | biostudies-literature
Project description: Not available
| S-EPMC6984642 | biostudies-literature
Project description:We used a letter transposition (LT) technique to investigate letter position coding during reading in central and peripheral vision. Eighteen subjects read aloud sentences in a rapid serial visual presentation task. The tests contained a baseline and three LT conditions with initial, internal, and final transpositions (e.g., "reading" to "erading", "raeding", and "readign"). The four reading conditions were tested in separate blocks. We found that LT had a smaller cost on peripheral (10° lower field) than on central reading speed, possibly due to the higher intrinsic position uncertainty of letters in the periphery. The pattern of cost (initial > final > internal) was the same for central and peripheral vision, indicating a similar lexical route for both. In the periphery, LT only affected transposed words, while in central vision it also affected untransposed words. This spread of the LT effect in central vision could not be accounted for by increased attention or memory load, or by decreased sentence context.
| S-EPMC6440549 | biostudies-literature