2026 Vision Rehabilitation: Understanding and Managing Visual Impairment

The course is designed to promote education and training for rehabilitation therapists and nurses on the procedures and methods to screening for visual impairment across the continuum of care. Screening methods will aid practitioners in better identifying age- related pathological change and/or an acquired change in visual status secondary to neurological incidence. Course topics will also include interpretation of optometry documentation, as rehab therapists and nurses may glean insight into the functional barriers secondary to altered visual status. Practitioners will learn the importance and benefits to team collaboration with optometry for best patient outcomes. Rehabilitation specialists will learn the importance of understanding visual function and how it relates to safety with mobility. The course will outline procedures for instructing clients and caregivers on the use of sighted guide technique and self-protection techniques specific to persons with visual disability.