PURPOSE. To determine the influence of cataractous and refractive blur on postural stability and limb-load asymmetry (LLA) and to establish how postural stability changes with the spatial frequency and contrast of the visual stimulus. METHODS. Thirteen elderly subjects (mean age, 70.76 ± 4.14 [SD] years) with no history of falls and normal vision were recruited. Postural stability was determined as the root mean square [RMS] of the center of pressure (COP) signal in the anterior¿posterior (A-P) and medial¿lateral directions and LLA was determined as the ratio of the average body weight placed on the more-loaded limb to the less-loaded limb, recorded during a 30-second period. Data were collected under normal standing conditions and with somatosensory system input disrupted. Measurements were repeated with four visual targets with high (8 cyc/deg) or low (2 cyc/deg) spatial frequency and high (Weber contrast, 95%) or low (Weber contrast, 25%) contrast. Postural stability was measured under conditions of binocular refractive blur of 0, 1, 2, 4, and 8 D and with cataract simulation. The data were analyzed in a population-averaged linear model. RESULTS. The cataract simulation caused significant increases in postural instability equivalent to that caused by 8-D blur conditions, and its effect was greater when the input from the somatosensory system was disrupted. High spatial frequency targets increased postural instability. Refractive blur, cataract simulation, or eye closure had no effect on LLA. CONCLUSIONS. Findings indicate that cataractous and refractive blur increase postural instability, and show why the elderly, many of whom have poor vision along with musculoskeletal and central nervous system degeneration, are at greater risk of falling. Findings also highlight that changes in contrast sensitivity rather than resolution changes are responsible for increasing postural instability. Providing low spatial frequency information in certain environments may be useful in maintaining postural stability. Correcting visual impairment caused by uncorrected refractive error and cataracts could be a useful intervention strategy to help prevent falls and fall-related injuries in the elderly.

Thesis (MPH.) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Dry eye disease (DED) is defined as a multifactorial disease of the tears and ocular surface that results in symptoms of discomfort, visual disturbance, and tear film instability with potential damage to the ocular surface. It is accompanied by increased osmolality of the tear film and inflammation of the ocular surface. DED is one of the most frequently established diagnoses in ophthalmology and represents a growing public health concern, with consequences that remain widely underestimated. There is variability of clinical manifestations and diagnostic criteria which leads to poor correlation between clinical signs and symptoms, therefore resulting in difficulties to assess prevalence of DED despite an improved understanding of pathogenic factors of acquired DED. However, its prevalence has been reported to range from 74% to 33% worldwide and the current study aimed to investigate the prevalence of DED and its determinants amongst people consulting at Focus Optometrists in Kwa-Mhlanga Township in Mpumalanga Province. Methodology: The current study was quantitative in nature and it followed a cross-sectional descriptive design to address the research question. The study population were people consulting at Focus Optometrists in Kwa-Mhlanga Township in Mpumalanga Province in which two standardized optometry diagnostic tests (Schimer test and the tear film break up time) were used for data collection coupled with a comprehensive case history which was taken for all participants. Data analysis was done using the STATA statistical software version 12 for Windows (STATA Corporation, College Station, Texas). Frequency tables were used to make comparisons between groups for continuous and categorical variables using student t-test, and chi-square test. P-value less than 0.05 at 95% confidence level were regarded as significant. Results: A total of 236 participants were recruited and the mean age of the participants was 39.7 in which majority of participants were females and there was a statistical significance difference in age groups of both males and females at p-value=0.011. Majority of the participants have reported to have experience of sensitivity to light vi and foreign body sensation sometimes. The poor vision and blurred vision have been reported by majority of participants sometimes and the prevalence of dry eye disease was found to be 80.9% and the risk of the dry eye disease in the current study was found significantly increasing with old age. Those who were older (35 years above) were 4.2 times more likely to develop dry eye disease at p-value <0.001 as compared to young participants. Female gender was found not to be protective of developing dry eye disease in the current and participants who were single, having secondary and education qualifications were more likely to develop dry eye disease. Participants with ocular conditions, systemic disease, surgery and those with high blood pressure were more likely to develop dry disease Conclusion: The prevalence of dry eye disease in the current study was found to be very high and therefore, patients coming to the clinic from the age of 40 with underlying systemic diseases should be screened for dry eyes. Dry eye disease can be a major contributor of refractive error in the visual systems and or can also be a sign or a symptom of hormonal or related ocular or systemic disease. More eye care awareness should be done at primary eye care level to detect the cause or to eliminate future associated symptoms.

Esta pesquisa aborda o uso e a apropriação das Tecnologias de Informação e de Comunicação (TIC’s) pelas pessoas com cegueira através de uma ferramenta de interação social síncrona com áudio acessível em um AVA, implementada conforme padrões de acessibilidade da W3C/WAI. Fazem parte deste processo, sujeitos cegos e videntes, professores do curso PROINESP, da Secretaria de Educação Especial do Ministério da Educação (SEESP/MEC) em parceria com a Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), através do Núcleo de Informática na Educação Especial (NIEE) e do Centro Interdisciplinar de Novas Tecnologias na Educação (CINTED). O problema de pesquisa verificou como uma ferramenta de conversação com recursos de áudio, coerente aos princípios de acessibilidade, inserida em um contexto AVA, favorece a interação das pessoas cegas com vistas à sua inclusão digital, social e educacional em cursos na modalidade a distância. Dentre os objetivos destacou-se desenvolver e validar a ferramenta com recursos de áudio acessível, assim como, a estruturação da ferramenta integrada em um AVA’s e, por conseguinte, a análise do processo de interação entre os cegos e videntes através da ferramenta EVOC. Para a análise foram estabelecidas categorias focadas principalmente na interação social, através de um arcabouço com base na teoria sócio-histórica, que foi a linha mestra deste processo. A partir das análises realizadas dos processos interativos dos sujeitos desta pesquisa, concluiu-se que os mesmos utilizaram a ferramenta EVOC na realização do curso e interagiram entre eles e com videntes. Dessa forma, o estudo apresenta indício que a ferramenta favorece o processo de interação e inclusão de cegos em um contexto AVA, através da qualificação em cursos na modalidade à distância. / This research approaches the use and the appropriation of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT’s) by the blind people through synchronic social interaction tool with accessible audio in an AVA, implemented according to the patterns of W3C/WAI accessibility. In this process are taking part blind people and sighted people, teachers from the PROINESP course of Special Education General Office of Ministry of Education (SEESP/MEC) in parallel with the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), through Nucleus of Information Technology in Special Education (NIEE) and Inter-discipline Center of New Technologies in Education (CINTED). The problem of research verified how a conversation tool of audio resources, coherent to the principles of accessibility, inserted in an AVA context, supports the interaction of blind people focusing on digital, social and educational inclusion in distance learning. Among the objectives there were to develop and validate the tool with accessible audio resources, as well as the structure of the integrated tool in an AVA’s and, consequently, the analysis of the process of interaction between the blind and sighted people through the EVOC tool. For the analysis, it was established categories focuses mainly in the social interaction, on the basis of socio-historical theory, that was the master line of this process. From the analysis realized of the interactive process of the people in this research, we concluded that they used the EVOC tool in the fulfillment of the course and interacted themselves and with sighted people. In this way, the study presents sign that the tool supports the process of interaction and inclusion of blind people in an AVA context, through qualification in distance learning.

Esta pesquisa aborda o uso e a apropriação das Tecnologias de Informação e de Comunicação (TIC’s) pelas pessoas com cegueira através de uma ferramenta de interação social síncrona com áudio acessível em um AVA, implementada conforme padrões de acessibilidade da W3C/WAI. Fazem parte deste processo, sujeitos cegos e videntes, professores do curso PROINESP, da Secretaria de Educação Especial do Ministério da Educação (SEESP/MEC) em parceria com a Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), através do Núcleo de Informática na Educação Especial (NIEE) e do Centro Interdisciplinar de Novas Tecnologias na Educação (CINTED). O problema de pesquisa verificou como uma ferramenta de conversação com recursos de áudio, coerente aos princípios de acessibilidade, inserida em um contexto AVA, favorece a interação das pessoas cegas com vistas à sua inclusão digital, social e educacional em cursos na modalidade a distância. Dentre os objetivos destacou-se desenvolver e validar a ferramenta com recursos de áudio acessível, assim como, a estruturação da ferramenta integrada em um AVA’s e, por conseguinte, a análise do processo de interação entre os cegos e videntes através da ferramenta EVOC. Para a análise foram estabelecidas categorias focadas principalmente na interação social, através de um arcabouço com base na teoria sócio-histórica, que foi a linha mestra deste processo. A partir das análises realizadas dos processos interativos dos sujeitos desta pesquisa, concluiu-se que os mesmos utilizaram a ferramenta EVOC na realização do curso e interagiram entre eles e com videntes. Dessa forma, o estudo apresenta indício que a ferramenta favorece o processo de interação e inclusão de cegos em um contexto AVA, através da qualificação em cursos na modalidade à distância. / This research approaches the use and the appropriation of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT’s) by the blind people through synchronic social interaction tool with accessible audio in an AVA, implemented according to the patterns of W3C/WAI accessibility. In this process are taking part blind people and sighted people, teachers from the PROINESP course of Special Education General Office of Ministry of Education (SEESP/MEC) in parallel with the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), through Nucleus of Information Technology in Special Education (NIEE) and Inter-discipline Center of New Technologies in Education (CINTED). The problem of research verified how a conversation tool of audio resources, coherent to the principles of accessibility, inserted in an AVA context, supports the interaction of blind people focusing on digital, social and educational inclusion in distance learning. Among the objectives there were to develop and validate the tool with accessible audio resources, as well as the structure of the integrated tool in an AVA’s and, consequently, the analysis of the process of interaction between the blind and sighted people through the EVOC tool. For the analysis, it was established categories focuses mainly in the social interaction, on the basis of socio-historical theory, that was the master line of this process. From the analysis realized of the interactive process of the people in this research, we concluded that they used the EVOC tool in the fulfillment of the course and interacted themselves and with sighted people. In this way, the study presents sign that the tool supports the process of interaction and inclusion of blind people in an AVA context, through qualification in distance learning.

Esta pesquisa aborda o uso e a apropriação das Tecnologias de Informação e de Comunicação (TIC’s) pelas pessoas com cegueira através de uma ferramenta de interação social síncrona com áudio acessível em um AVA, implementada conforme padrões de acessibilidade da W3C/WAI. Fazem parte deste processo, sujeitos cegos e videntes, professores do curso PROINESP, da Secretaria de Educação Especial do Ministério da Educação (SEESP/MEC) em parceria com a Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), através do Núcleo de Informática na Educação Especial (NIEE) e do Centro Interdisciplinar de Novas Tecnologias na Educação (CINTED). O problema de pesquisa verificou como uma ferramenta de conversação com recursos de áudio, coerente aos princípios de acessibilidade, inserida em um contexto AVA, favorece a interação das pessoas cegas com vistas à sua inclusão digital, social e educacional em cursos na modalidade a distância. Dentre os objetivos destacou-se desenvolver e validar a ferramenta com recursos de áudio acessível, assim como, a estruturação da ferramenta integrada em um AVA’s e, por conseguinte, a análise do processo de interação entre os cegos e videntes através da ferramenta EVOC. Para a análise foram estabelecidas categorias focadas principalmente na interação social, através de um arcabouço com base na teoria sócio-histórica, que foi a linha mestra deste processo. A partir das análises realizadas dos processos interativos dos sujeitos desta pesquisa, concluiu-se que os mesmos utilizaram a ferramenta EVOC na realização do curso e interagiram entre eles e com videntes. Dessa forma, o estudo apresenta indício que a ferramenta favorece o processo de interação e inclusão de cegos em um contexto AVA, através da qualificação em cursos na modalidade à distância. / This research approaches the use and the appropriation of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT’s) by the blind people through synchronic social interaction tool with accessible audio in an AVA, implemented according to the patterns of W3C/WAI accessibility. In this process are taking part blind people and sighted people, teachers from the PROINESP course of Special Education General Office of Ministry of Education (SEESP/MEC) in parallel with the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), through Nucleus of Information Technology in Special Education (NIEE) and Inter-discipline Center of New Technologies in Education (CINTED). The problem of research verified how a conversation tool of audio resources, coherent to the principles of accessibility, inserted in an AVA context, supports the interaction of blind people focusing on digital, social and educational inclusion in distance learning. Among the objectives there were to develop and validate the tool with accessible audio resources, as well as the structure of the integrated tool in an AVA’s and, consequently, the analysis of the process of interaction between the blind and sighted people through the EVOC tool. For the analysis, it was established categories focuses mainly in the social interaction, on the basis of socio-historical theory, that was the master line of this process. From the analysis realized of the interactive process of the people in this research, we concluded that they used the EVOC tool in the fulfillment of the course and interacted themselves and with sighted people. In this way, the study presents sign that the tool supports the process of interaction and inclusion of blind people in an AVA context, through qualification in distance learning.

nÃo hà / This study points to access, permanence and autonomy of people with visual impairment, poor vision or total blindness, with the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs), the informatics and its augmentation with communication capabilities, as tools of interaction with environments found at the Federal University of Cearà (UFC). We present a theoretical framework of the issue through the following topics: special education and inclusive education, assistive technology, visual impairment, the legal system, including higher education, the use of ICT, usability and ergonomics, accessibility and inclusion, universal design, web accessibility, programs with speech synthesizers, building websites for full development to make them accessible to the visually impaired, as well as the accessibility at the Federal University of CearÃ. The methodology was exploratory, descriptive, and application of instruments: questionnaires, interviews and tests, people with visual impairments that make up the university community, students and employees. The questionnaire was sent via internet and a visit for the interview and testing was scheduled by e-mail, phone or in person. The answers to the questionnaires for data collection were sent by e-mail. The research was conducted with eight people, one teacher and seven students, all totally blind or with poor vision. In the chapter on Methodology, besides addressing the collecting, processing and data analysis technique, details of the research are also provided. The results address the life course of the research subjects and the perception of these people in relation to accessibility in UFC. In addition, the specific objectives and analysis of results were also verified. A list of recommendations was then released. / O objetivo deste estudo aponta para o acesso, autonomia e permanÃncia de pessoas com deficiÃncia visual, com baixa visÃo ou com cegueira, com suporte na utilizaÃÃo de tecnologias da informaÃÃo e comunicaÃÃo (TICs), da informÃtica e da sua potencializaÃÃo com os recursos de comunicaÃÃo, como ferramentas de interaÃÃo com ambientes normovisuais, na Universidade Federal do Cearà (UFC). Demonstra-se uma fundamentaÃÃo teÃrica sobre a temÃtica, por via dos seguintes tÃpicos: educaÃÃo especial e educaÃÃo inclusiva; tecnologias assistivas; deficiÃncia visual; ordenamento jurÃdico; inclusÃo no ensino superior; uso das TICs; usabilidade e ergonomia; acessibilidade e inclusÃo; desenho universal; acessibilidade na Web; programas com sintetizadores de voz; construÃÃo de sites para todos; desenvolvimento para tornÃ-los acessÃveis aos deficientes visuais; e acessibilidade na Universidade Federal do CearÃ. A metodologia utilizada foi exploratÃria e descritiva, com aplicaÃÃo de instrumentos - questionÃrios, entrevistas e testes com as pessoas com deficiÃncia visual que constituem a comunidade universitÃria, seus servidores e alunos. O questionÃrio foi enviado via internet, e a visita para a entrevista e os testes foi agendada atravÃs de email, telefonema ou pessoalmente. As respostas dos questionÃrios para coleta de dados foram enviadas por email. A pesquisa foi realizada com oito pessoas, sendo um docente e sete alunos, cegos ou de baixa visÃo. O capÃtulo da Metodologia, alÃm de se abordar a coleta, o tratamento e a tÃcnica de anÃlise dos dados, detalha a pesquisa. Os resultados tratam da trajetÃria de vida dos sujeitos da pesquisa e a percepÃÃo dessas pessoas em relaÃÃo à acessibilidade na UFC. Realizaram-se, ainda, uma verificaÃÃo dos objetivos especÃficos e anÃlise dos resultados. Em seguida, foi disponibilizada uma lista de recomendaÃÃes.