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.

Submitted by Maria Bernadete Dos Santos (mariabpds@id.uff.br) on 2017-10-10T14:05:56Z No. of bitstreams: 3 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Dissertação Paula Paulo.pdf: 2149459 bytes, checksum: c005caf1f174ecc705d825a05fcab564 (MD5) Endereço Eletrônico.pdf: 89286 bytes, checksum: 9badc17543c2e9c73d1911fed3a28c3a (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Biblioteca Central do Valonguinho Biblioteca Central do Valonguinho (bcv@ndc.uff.br) on 2017-10-26T21:45:35Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 3 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Dissertação Paula Paulo.pdf: 2149459 bytes, checksum: c005caf1f174ecc705d825a05fcab564 (MD5) Endereço Eletrônico.pdf: 89286 bytes, checksum: 9badc17543c2e9c73d1911fed3a28c3a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-10-26T21:45:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 3 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Dissertação Paula Paulo.pdf: 2149459 bytes, checksum: c005caf1f174ecc705d825a05fcab564 (MD5) Endereço Eletrônico.pdf: 89286 bytes, checksum: 9badc17543c2e9c73d1911fed3a28c3a (MD5) / A Inclusão é um tema que cada vez mais vem sendo discutido na Sociedade. Como consequência, a inserção de pessoas que possuem qualquer tipo de necessidade educacional especial em salas de aulas regulares vem aumentando de forma progressiva. Embora existam muitas leis que garantam aos alunos com algum tipo de necessidade educacional especial a educação adequada num ambiente escolar inclusivo, a mesma muitas das vezes não é obedecida. Um dos motivos para esse problema é a falta de formação adequada dos professores para que consigam lidar com esses alunos. Por isso, foi proposta nessa dissertação uma maneira de colaborar com esses professores em sua prática docente. Produziu-se entre os anos de 2016-17 um conjunto de três vídeoaulas, disponibilizadas gratuitamente através do Youtube, onde cada aula possui um tema que auxilia o professor de Química a lidar com turmas inclusivas e com alunos deficientes visuais. Os vídeos foram filmados de maneira informal, seguindo um roteiro previamente estabelecido, e divulgados através do próprio site, redes sociais e uma oficina com alunos do PIBID (Programa Institucional de Bolsa de Iniciação à Docência) de Química da UFF. A primeira videoaula discute brevemente inclusão, mostrando alguns conceitos e leis, a segunda mostra como professores podem lidar com alunos deficientes visuais, através do uso de materiais didáticos inclusivos, mostrando como produzi-los e a última vídeoaula exibe alguns exemplos desses materiais já produzidos para o Ensino de Química. A análise dos vídeos foi realizada em 2016 por vinte e cinco professores voluntários de diferentes áreas do ensino já formados ou em formação. Todos avaliaram positivamente, indicando algumas melhorias com relação a alguns aspectos técnicos da gravação, como iluminação e áudio. Dessa forma, chegou-se à conclusão que as vídeoaulas alcançaram seu objetivo principal, indo além da sua meta inicial, atingindo também professores de outras disciplinas. / Inclusion is a subject that is increasingly being discussed in the society. As consequence, the insertion of people who have any kind of special educational need in regular classrooms has been increasing progressively. Although there are many laws guaranteeing pupils with some special educational need of adequate education in an inclusive school environment, it is often not obeyed. One of the reasons for this problem is the lack of adequate teacher training so that they can deal with these students. Therefore, it was proposed in this dissertation a way of collaborating with these teachers in their teaching practice. Between the years 2016-17, a set of three videotapes was made available for free through Youtube, where each class has a theme that helps the chemistry teacher to deal with inclusive classes and with visually impaired students. The videos were filmed in an informal way, following a previously established script and disseminated through the site itself, social networks and a workshop with UFF PIBID (Institutional Program of Initiation to Teaching) chemistry students. The first videotape briefly discusses inclusion, showing some concepts and laws, the second shows how teachers can deal with visually impaired students through the use of inclusive teaching materials, showing how to produce them, and the last videotape shows some examples of such materials already produced for teaching chemistry. The videos were analyzed in 2016 by twenty-five volunteer teachers from different areas of education already trained or in training. All evaluated positively, indicating some improvements regarding some recording technical aspects, such as lighting and audio. In this way, it was concluded that videotapes reached their main goal, going beyond their initial goal, reaching teachers from other disciplines as well.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This dissertation consists of 2 articles that focus on the effects of a combined physical exercise program on the quality of life and health related physical fitness of adults with visual impairment. The study included 9 adults with visual impairment with a mean age of 44.9 ± 11.3 years. A training program with functional resistance and aerobic exercises was carried out 2 times a week during a 12-week period, at a Physical Activity Studio of Santa Maria, RS. There were two evaluations, one before the beginning of the training program and another at the end of it. In the first article, the level of physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, short version and the quality of life by WHOQOL - short bref in the Portuguese version. There was also an anamnestic record to characterize the participants. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to verify the normality of the results and the Wilcoxon test to evaluate the difference between the mean valuesobtained before and after training. After the training period, statistically significant improvements were observed in the levels of physical activity and physical and psychological domains of quality of life. In the second article, the components of health related physical fitness were assessed: body composition using Body Mass Index, waist circumference and fat percentage; flexibility through the Sit and Reach Test using Wells bench; muscular strength / endurance with the 1 minute abdominal test and arms Flex/Extension Test and cardiorespiratory capacity by the Adapted Bruce Protocol. The normality of the results was analyzed using the Shapiro-Wilk test, and the Wilcoxon test was used to assess the difference between the means. After training there was a statistically significant improvement in height, diastolic blood pressure, cardiorespiratory fitness, strength of upper limbs and trunk. It was concluded that a 12-week combined exercise program, positively modified several aspects of quality of life and health related physical fitness of people with visual impairments. / Esta dissertação é composta por 2 artigos que tem como foco os efeitos de um programa de exercícios físicos combinados na qualidade de vida e aptidão física relacionada à saúde de adultos com deficiência visual. Participaram do estudo 9 adultos com deficiência visual com média de idade de 44,9±11,3 anos. Foi realizado um programa de treinamento com exercícios físicos resistidos funcionais e aeróbicos, 2 vezes na semana, por um período de 12 semanas, em um Espaço de Atividades Físicas da cidade de Santa Maria, RS. Foram realizadas duas avaliações, uma anteriormente o início do treinamento e outra ao término do mesmo. No primeiro artigo, o nível de atividade física foi avaliado através do Questionário Internacional de Atividades Física, versão curta e a qualidade de vida através do WHOQOL bref abreviado na versão em português. Também foi aplicada uma Ficha Anamnética para caracterizar os participantes. Foi utilizado o teste Shapiro Wilk para verificar a normalidade dos resultados e o teste Wilcoxon para avaliar a diferença entre as médias obtidas antes e após o treinamento. Após o período de treinamento foi verificado melhoras estatisticamente significativas nos níveis de atividade física e nos domínios físico e psicológico da qualidade de vida. No segundo artigo, foram avaliados os componentes da aptidão física relacionada a saúde: composição corporal, através do Índice de Massa Corporal, Circunferência da Cintura e Percentual de Gordura; flexibilidade através do Teste de Sentar e Alcançar no banco de Wells; força/resistência muscular através do Teste de Abdominal em 1 minuto e do Teste de Flexão/Extensão dos Braços e a capacidade cardiorrespiratória através do Protocolo Adaptado de Bruce. Para análise estatística verificou-se a normalidade dos resultados através do teste Shapiro Wilk, e foi utilizado o teste Wilcoxon para avaliar a diferença entre as médias. Após o treinamento verificou-se melhoras estatisticamente significativa na estatura, pressão arterial diastólica, capacidade cardiorrespiratória, força de membros superiores e de tronco. Concluiu-se que um programa de exercícios físicos combinados de 12 semanas modificou positivamente vários aspectos da qualidade de vida e da aptidão física relacionada a saúde de pessoas com deficiência visual.

This submitted thesis deals with the exclusive education of kindergarten aged children. The main purpose of this thesis is to chart the preparedness of the kindergarteners for inclusive education of children with visual impairment in the South Bohemian Region. The subject is being processed according to theoretical and practical background of special education and related fields. The researched area of interest is judged on a basis of set conditions based on a concept of inclusive pedagogy. Analysis of the questionnaire research is bringing a view of preschool educators who have experience with the education of children with visual impairment. Examples of good practice are presented, which complement and support a view of information gained with first grade educators, who also have experience with teaching visual impaired children. Outcomes for practice are made as Activities Concepts or children with visual impairments. Concepts are created as suggestions or inspiration for kindergarten educators, where there are visually impaired children. Activities are created so they can be applied throughout the day care centre's routine, and involves the participation of all preschool children.

The thesis deals with meaningfulness of life and acceptance of an affliction by people with visual disability. The work has been divided into two parts. In the review section, the author deals with a psychological approach to meaningfulness of life, with an issue of acceptance of visual impairment, and with specifics of meaningfulness of life over the course of a lifetime. The aim of the empirical part has been to test hypotheses regarding relationship between the meaningfulness of life and the acceptance of vision impairment. Key concepts have been operationalized by scores according to both inventories; the Meaningfulness of Life Scale (MLC) (Halama, 2002, 2009), and the Acceptance of Disability Scale - Revised (ADS-R) (Linkowski, Groomes, 2007). Data obtained from a sample of persons with visual disability (N = 84) has been used to test the hypotheses. For the first time a Czech translation of the ADS-R inventory has been put to practice and the author suggests a further use of the inventory titled Škála akceptace disability. In the empirical part of the study, the author also deals with possibilities of online administration of psychological test methods for people with a visual disability. These possibilities have been verified and confirmed in practice by the author. Of all the monitored...

En France comme au Japon, le système d'éducation à destination des enfants handicapés a connu d'importantes transformations ces dernières années, avec le passage à une logique d'éducation inclusive, privilégiant la scolarisation dans les écoles ordinaires plutôt qu'en établissement spécialisé. Cependant, les établissements spécialisés n'ont pas disparu pour autant et le milieu spécialisé se reconfigure pour s'adapter aux changements. Cette thèse s'appuie sur l'idée que ces transformations correspondent à l'aboutissement d'un mouvement historique allant d'une approche catégorielle du handicap (dans laquelle les différentes catégories médicales de déficiences sont sources de spécialisation) à une approche que l'on peut qualifier, par opposition, de généraliste (dans laquelle les catégories de déficiences s'effacent pour laisser la place à une catégorie unique : celle de « besoins particuliers »). Comment les écoles spécialisées, fondées sur la logique de spécialisation catégorielle, se transforment-elles à l'heure du généralisme ? On étudie plus précisément le cas des écoles d'aveugles, emblèmes historiques de la logique de spécialisation. La démarche comparative franco-japonaise permet ainsi d'éclairer une zone d'ombre, peu étudiée, du phénomène international de passage à une éducation inclusive. En mobilisant le champ de la sociologie du travail, plus spécifiquement le concept de compétences, on explore les transformations de l'institution spécialisée vécues par ses représentants: les enseignants spécialisés. On montre ainsi, à travers la comparaison, que le travail des enseignants spécialisés dans ces écoles n'est plus fondé sur une expertise de la déficience visuelle mais sur des compétences relationnelles d'adaptation aux "besoins éducatifs particuliers" de chaque enfant, dans des conditions d'enseignement en profonde mutation, où la mise en œuvre de ces compétences se fait de plus en plus difficile. / In France as in Japan, the educational system for children with disabilities has undergone major changes for the last years, through the development of inclusive education, promoting enrollment in mainstream schools rather than special institutions. However, special schools have not disappeared; they are rather evolving so as to adapt to changes. This work is grounded on the idea that these transformations represent the completion of a historical trend shifting from a category-based approach of disability (in which different medical categories result in specialized treatments) to an approach that, as opposed to the latter, we can call generalist (in which categories of impairments fade into the unified category of “special educational needs”). How do special schools, deeply rooted in the category-based specialized approach, evolve in the days of generalism? We examine the specific case of Schools for the Blind, embodiments of the specialized approach. Through a French-Japanese comparison, we shed light on some gray areas of the international move towards inclusive education. Using the field of work sociology, especially the concept of “skills”, we explore the transformations of special institutions as experiences by their representatives: special teachers. Through comparison, we show that special teachers' work in these schools is no longer based on an expertise of visual disability but relies on the use of relational skills, especially involving adaptation to every child's “special educational needs”, in a context of radically changing teaching conditions, where it becomes growingly difficult to put those skills into practice. / 要旨 : 近年、フランスと日本における障害児教育制度は、インクルーシブ教育の理念に従って、特殊学校よりも通常学校での在学を推進することで、大きく変わってきた。しかし、特殊学校が全くなくなるわけではなく、特殊教育制度はその変化に応じるように形を変えてきた。本論文はその推移が「障害」の取り扱いの歴史的転換と符合するという公準を基本とする。「各障害の医療的な特性に応じる専門的な取り扱いが必要」という障害種別アプローチから「障害の諸カテゴリーが「特別なニーズ」という単一なカテゴリーに溶け込む」という逆の一般的なアプローチへの転換である。障害種別の専門性を踏まえていた特殊学校はその一般的なアプローチの時代にどう応じてきたか。本研究は障害種別アプローチの体現である盲学校を中心の課題とする。日仏比較により、インクルーシブ教育への歩みという国際現象のあまり検討されていない面を調査することを目的とする。そのために、職業社会学（特に、「能力」の理論）に基づき、盲学校の教員が見た特殊教育の変化を分析する。その結果、盲学校教員の仕事は今、視覚障害の専門性よりも「各生徒の個人的なニーズに応じる」対人関係能力を踏まえているということが示され、盲学校における教育条件の変化により、その対人関係能力の実現が難しくなりつつあることが指摘される。

AFRIKAANS: Gesinne wat met ’n kleuter met ’n gesiggestremdheid gekonfronteer word, het meervoudige behoeftes wat ’n holistiese benadering vereis ten einde hierdie komplekse probleem effektief aan te spreek. Geen navorsing is egter nog gedoen waar daar na die Suid-Afrikaanse ouer wat ’n kleuter met ’n gesiggestremdheid het, se behoeftes gekyk is ten einde ’n gespesialiseerde, empiries gefundeerde ouerbegeleidingsprogram te ontwikkel nie. Hierdie studie het dus ten doel gehad om ’n begeleidingsprogram vir ouers van ’n kleuter met gesiggestremdheid te ontwikkel en die effektiwiteit daarvan te evalueer. Intervensienavorsing as toegepaste navorsing is hiervoor aangewend.<p[> ’n Tweefase-navorsingsbenadering is gebruik. Tydens fase een is van ’n kwalitatiewe benadering gebruik gemaak. Die volgende navorsingsvraag is tydens hierdie fase geformuleer: Watter behoeftes het die Suid-Afrikaanse ouer van ’n kleuter met gesiggestremdheid? : ’n Fokusgroepbespreking waar fokusgroepvrae benut is, is met 10 ouerpare deurloop ten einde die betekenis en interpretasie wat hulle aan hulle leefwêreld heg, te eksploreer. Hierdie data het, aanvullend tot die omvattende literatuurstudie wat onderneem is, inligting na vore gebring wat in die ouerbegeleidingsprogram gebruik is. Antwoorde op die navorsingsvraag kon dus gevind word. Die kwantitatiewe ontwerp wat tydens fase twee gevolg is, is die enkelstelselontwerp. Die volgende navorsingshipotese is tydens hierdie fase geformuleer: : Indien die ouers van ’n kleuter met gesiggestremdheid die ouerbegeleidingsprogram deurloop, sal hulle bemagtig word met kennis ten opsigte van hulle kind se spesifieke oogtoestand, die invloed daarvan op en hulle hantering van die betrokke kind, hulle huwelik en hulle gesin: . Die maatskaplikewerk-intervensieprogram wat ontwikkel is, bestaan uit ses groepwerksessies van ongeveer 60 minute elk wat met twee groepe van 10 ouers in totaal deurloop is. ’n Selfontwerpte vraelys is voor en na afloop van die program deur al 10 ouers voltooi. Hierdie meetinstrument het bostaande hipotese bevestig. Vergelykings is getref tussen die literatuur en die empiriese gegewens. Gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings vir toekomstige navorsing is na aanleiding van die studie geformuleer. ENGLISH: Families that are confronted with a toddler with a visual impairment have multiple needs that require a holistic approach in order to address this complex problem effectively. However, no research has been done yet that looks at the needs of the South African parent with a toddler with a visual impairment in order to develop a specialized, empirically grounded parental guiding programme. This study thus aimed at developing a guiding programme for parents with a toddler with a visual impairment and evaluating its effectiveness. Interventional research as applied research was utilised for this purpose. A two-phase research approach was used. During phase one a qualitative approach was used. The following research question was formulated during this phase: What are the needs of the South African parent with a toddler with a visual impairment? A focus-group discussion where focus-group questions were used was held with 10 parents in order to explore the meaning and interpretation that they attach to their daily world. These data, in addition to the wide-ranging literature study that had been undertaken, brought information to the fore that was used in the parental guiding programme. Answers to the research question could thus be found. The quantitative design that was followed during phase two was the single-system design. The following research hypothesis was formulated during this phase: If the parents of a toddler with a visual impairment follow the parental guiding programme, they will be empowered with knowledge with regard to their child’s specific eye condition, its influence on and their management of the child concerned, their marriage and their family. The social-work interventional programme that was developed consists of six group-work sessions of approximately 60 minutes each that were held for two groups of 10 parents in total. A self-designed questionnaire was completed by these 10 parents before and after the programme. This measuring instrument confirmed the above-mentioned hypothesis. Comparisons were made between literature and the empirical data. Conclusions and recommendations for future research were formulated following on this study. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

Les dispositifs permettant d'agrandir les images représentent les formes les plus courantes d'aides en réadaptation visuelle. Grâce à un essor technologique considérable, les lunettes électroniques, qui fonctionnent comme des aides grossissantes électroniques (fournissant un agrandissement variable, amélioration du contraste, utilisables les mains libres), sont devenues d'avantage disponibles, efficaces et utilisées par les personnes malvoyantes. Cependant, il existe un manque de données probantes et de connaissances au regard des taux d'abandon des lunettes électroniques, des facteurs prédictifs de leur utilisation, ainsi que sur les interventions efficaces qui pourraient optimiser leur utilisation.Afin de mieux comprendre l'utilisation des lunettes électroniques au sein de la population malvoyante, une étude en trois phases a été menée à travers l’exemple des lunettes eSight dans le but de : 1) examiner et synthétiser les facteurs qui influencent l'utilisation d'aides visuelles grossissantes à l'aide d'un examen de la portée afin de guider les études ultérieures; 2) déterminer à travers une étude transversale quelles sont les variables qui prédisent un changement d’utilisation des lunettes électroniques chez leur usager; et 3) élaborer des recommandations fondées sur des données probantes concernant la faisabilité d'une intervention de téléréadaptation auprès des utilisateurs de lunettes électroniques et étudier l'impact de cette modalité sur l’utilisation de leur dispositif et leur qualité de vie.Les travaux de cette thèse contribuent à soutenir l’idée que le choix d’utiliser des aides visuelles grossissantes dépend de causes multifactorielles. Les facteurs personnels et surtout la motivation représentent des prédicteurs importants. Les difficultés de transport et le manque d’entrainement ont été identifiés comme des obstacles importants à l’utilisation des aides visuelles. D’autre part, l’amélioration de la qualité de vie favorise le maintien de l’utilisation des lunettes électroniques. Compte tenu de ces résultats, un programme de formation personnalisée par téléréadaptation a été mis au point pour répondre aux besoins spécifiques des utilisateurs, offrant une attention individualisée pour optimiser l'utilisation des lunettes électroniques. Cette thèse fournit des preuves sur la faisabilité d'administrer plusieurs sessions d’entrainement en réadaptation de basse vision via la téléréadaptation chez des utilisateurs de lunettes électroniques. Les lunettes électronique eSight améliorent la qualité de vie et la vision fonctionnelle des utilisateurs, qu’elle soit associée à la téléréadaptation ou au programme d’autoformation du fabricant. Cela indique que les instructions fournies par la téléréadaptation ou par l'autoformation proposée dans un contexte commercial sont tout aussi efficaces pour améliorer la qualité de vie et les capacités visuelles et que la téléréadaptation pourrait être offerte comme une modalité de formation allternative. Afin d’orienter les recommandations de pratiques fondées sur des données probantes en matière de téléréadaptation, et de répondre au mieux aux besoins des personnes avec une basse vision, d'autres études examinant les effets de la pratique et de l’entrainement sont nécessaires. / Magnification devices are among the most common forms of aids in low vision rehabilitation. They are intended to increase the level of independence and function during activities of daily living. Novel head-mounted display magnification devices for low vision that operate as electronic vision enhancements (providing variable magnification, contrast enhancement, hands-free use) have become more and more available, efficient and are increasingly being utilized, thanks to considerable technological development. Nevertheless, there is still a lack of knowledge regarding abandonment rates, factors predicting abandonment of such devices, and efficient intervention characteristics that optimize their use.To better understand the use of head-mounted displays throughout the low vision population, a three-phase study has been conducted using eSight Eyewear as an example device in order to: 1) investigate and synthesize barriers and facilitators influencing the use of magnifying visual aids, using a scoping review to guide the subsequent cross-sectional and prospective studies; 2) identify which variables best predict a change in device use among current head-mounted display users, using a cross-sectional design; and 3) develop evidence-based recommendations regarding the feasibility of a telerehabilitation intervention on head-mounted display users and study the impact of this modality on their device use and quality of life.This thesis provides supporting evidence for the multifactorial decision-making process around the use of magnifying visual aids. Device users’ low motivation, transportation to rehabilitation services and insufficient training have been identified as important barriers to magnifying low vision aid use. Improving users’ quality of life helps to maintain the use of head-mounted displays. Considering these findings, a personalized training regime via telerehabilitation was developed to meet specific users’ needs, providing individualizing attention to optimize the use of head-mounted displays. This thesis provides evidence about feasibility of administering several low vision rehabilitation training sessions via telerehabilitation with head-mounted display users. eSight Eyewear, either with telerehabilitation or with the manufacturer self-training standard, improves quality of life and functional vision outcomes.This indicates that instructions provided by telerehabilitation or though the eSight self-training standard are equally successful in improving quality of life and visual abilities outcomes and that telerehabilitation could be provided as an alternative training modality. To help guide evidence-based practice recommendations for low vision telerehabilitation implementation that meet the unique needs of individuals with low vision, further studies examining benefits of practice and training are needed.

No description available.

Title: Influence of guide dog ownership on physical activity and quality of life of people with visual impairments Objectives: The main objective of the thesis was to examine differences in quality of life and volume of physical activity in persons with visual impairments who own/do not own a guide dog. Methods: It is theoretically empirical work. A quantitative form of questioning was used for the research part of this thesis. The method chosen for data collection was the standardised IPAQ questionnaire and the revised SF-36 questionnaire. The research group consisted of people with visual impairments who own/do not own guide dogs. The survey involved 15 people with visual impairments (7 women, 8 men), out of this number 8 respondents own a guide dog (5 women, 3 men) and 7 respondents do not own a guide dog (3 women, 4 men). The average age of respondents with a guide dog was - women 32 years, men 31 years. In respondents without a dog - women 32 years, males 38 years. Results: The results showed up to twice the time devoted to regular physical activity in a group of visually impaired individuals who own a guide dog, compared to individuals without a dog. Individuals with dogs were measured at 17995 MET-min/week, compared to individuals without a dog who had 5368 MET-min/week. Necessary walking...