A discription of teaching activities and seeing distances makes it easier to prescribe correct lenses. (AP)

The author discusses the advantages and made to measure microcomputer programs for the partially sighted student. Several strategies for using the microcomputer in the classroom are suggested. (SW)

The article describes a three-part driving program for low vision persons in which potential trainees are first interviewed for problems which may interfere with success, then trained to recognize objects through a bioptic lens system, and finally trained on road signs and markings. (Author/CL)

The most commonly used chart for testing eye acuity is the Snellen Chart, developed more than 100 years ago. A description is given of the way this chart works, its uses, and its limitations. (JD)

Two experimental reading development courses were conducted for six partially sighted students who read so slowly that they could not complete their study assignments. At the end of each course, the participants' proficiency in reading improved dramatically. (Author)

The author discusses the current status of driving for persons with low vision, both with and without using a bioptic telescope. Licensing criteria, training sequences, and problem areas are considered. (Author/CL)

A fly is buzzing around in the kitchen. You sneak up on it with a flyswatter, but just as you get close to it, it flies away. What makes flies and other insects so good at escaping from danger? The fact that insects have eyesight that can easily detect moving objects is one of the things that help them survive. In this month's Science Shorts,…

A variety of obstacles can prevent persons or individuals with low vision from deriving the greatest possible benefit from the rehabilitation process, including inadequate understanding of their visual impairment, lack of knowledge about available services, and misconceptions about low vision devices. This study explores the use of a…

Evidence suggests that perceptual networks in the ventral visual pathway are necessary for action control when targets are viewed with only one eye, or when the target must be stored in memory. We tested whether memory-linked (i.e., open-loop versus memory-guided actions) and monocular-linked effects (i.e., binocular versus monocular actions) on…

The relationship between luminance (i.e., the photometric intensity of light) and its perception (i.e., sensations of lightness or brightness) has long been a puzzle. In addition to the mystery of why these perceptual qualities do not scale with luminance in any simple way, "illusions" such as simultaneous brightness contrast, Mach bands,…

This article comprises a historical review of the literature pertaining to the representation of the visual field in human primary visual cortex. A brief survey of the anatomy of the visual system is followed by a critical evaluation of the key studies that have informed both the issue of the disproportionate representation of central vision…

The Ebbinghaus (Titchener) illusion was examined in a remote culture (Himba) with no words for geometric shapes. The illusion was experienced less strongly by Himba compared with English participants, leading to more accurate size contrast judgments in the Himba. The study included two conditions of inducing stimuli. The illusion was weaker when…

As part of a study of 198 residents with low vision in 28 nursing homes, 91 participated in a low vision rehabilitation intervention. Among the rehabilitation participants, 78% received simple environmental modifications, such as lighting; 75% received low vision instruction; 73% benefited from staff training; and 69% received simple nonoptical…

Prolonged visual deprivation from early childhood to maturity is believed to cause permanent visual impairment. However, there have been case reports of substantial improvement of binocular vision in human adults following lifelong visual impairment or deprivation. These observations, together with recent findings of adult ocular dominance…