Meera and L B Deshpande Centre for Sight Enhancement
The Meera and L B Deshpande Centre for Sight Enhancement has a team of clinical specialists, dedicated to the needs of people with low vision. After an ophthalmologist has determined that a patient's vision cannot be corrected by medical or surgical intervention, or cannot be helped by the use of ordinary spectacles or contact lenses, he or she is referred to this centre.
The centre has a team of optometrists specially trained to deal with issues related to low vision and its management. They evaluate the functional requirement of the clients as well as various visual functions through a series of tests and procedures. After a thorough assessment, clinicians prescribe assistive devices.
Whenever possible LVPEI works hand-in-hand with manufacturers to devise and manufacture inexpensive versions of low vision devices which were earlier available only at international rates.
Once the evaluation is over and assistive devices have been prescribed, the patient moves to the Dr P R K Prasad Centre for Rehabilitation of Blind and Visually Impaired for training in use of assistive devices and other needful rehabilitation services.
Dr P R K Prasad Centre for Rehabilitation of Blind and Visually Impaired
The Dr P R K Prasad Centre for Rehabilitation of Blind and Visually Impaired is managed by a team of rehabilitation professionals who uses combined and coordinated use of medical, social, educational and vocational measures for training or re-training individuals with visual impairment to the highest possible level of functional ability.
The centre through its wide range of services aims to provide high quality rehabilitation services to visually challenged persons, empowering them to change their quality of life and to participate actively in family and community activities to the greatest extent possible.
Services offered for children: (0 to 15 years)
Services for adults and elderly: (16 plus age group)
Services offered for children: (0 to 15 years)
1. Parental counseling: Explaining the prognosis of child’s visual condition and preparing the parents for better child rearing.
2. Educational guidance : Guidance in selection of appropriate mode and model of education, assistance in getting school admission, teaching pre Braille and Braille activities, preparation of Braille, large print and talking books, training in use of mathematical devices such as abacus and Taylor frame, supply of educational materials and devices.
3. Training in independent living skills:
- Orientation and Mobility: Assessing the mobility problems indoors and out door. Teaching of skills to navigate independently, safely and gracefully using the sighted guide or long cane. Suggestions in using appropriate non-optical devices such as peaked cap, tinted glass and flashlight for better use of vision for travel.
- Money identification: Techniques in identifying the currency and coins
- Personal skills: Techniques in executing skills such as personal grooming, self care daily living skills.
4. Early Intervention: Services for the children between the ages of 0 – 5 years who are at risk either due to developmental delay and multi handicapped. Early intervention aims to provide remedial or preventive services thus lessen the effects of the condition.
5. Services for the children with low vision:
a. Functional Vision Assessment: Functional vision assessment to determine the child's usable sight, clarity of sight, peripheral vision, eye-hand coordination, visual processing, eye movement skills and depth perception for various functional activities like education, mobility, self-care, etc.
b. Visual skills training: Training to use residual vision and improve visual skills such as awareness and attention to objects, fixation, focusing and localization, tracking and scanning.
c. Vision Stimulation: Vision stimulation activities help children use their remaining vision more effectively.
d. Use of optical, non optical and electronic devices: Demonstration and instructional training in proper use and care of optical and non-optical devices are refined, paying special attention to proper lighting techniques and positioning of materials. Follow up visits is scheduled after an extended period of training to ensure the quality of services delivered.
6. Services for children with additional disabilities and multi-handicapped:
- Parental counseling and guidance: Explaining the prognosis of the condition and preparing the parents to accept reality.
- Assessment of additional disabilities: Rule out the additional disabilities (motor, speech and cognitive impairment)
- Individualized intensive training: Special skills in areas such as orientation and mobility, daily living skills etc., to enhance functional independence.
- Training to the parents: Training on selection of educational and play materials, safety measures and environmental modifications required for children with additional disabilities.
- Functional education: Functional literacy in reading, writing and arithmetic skills
- Adaptive devices and materials: Arrangements to access devices required for training the child
- Multi sensorial training: Training in vision stimulation, speech therapy and physio- therapy
7. Environment modifications: Suggestions in modifying the surroundings for utilizing the residual vision in enhanced way.
8. Training in using computer assistive software: Instructional training to work on computer using specialized software that has screen readers and magnifiers thus enhance academic achievement and assist in acquiring meaningful employment.
9. Supportive services: Issuing medical certificate and railway concessions and explaining eligibility details on supportive facilities that includes travel, educational, financial, employment benefits from Government and private sector based on vision loss.
10. Children’s Library: Tales, general knowledge books in Large Print and Braille for easy access of children with blindness and visual impairment.
11. Referral: Consultation with therapist such as physiotherapist, speech therapist, psychologist, general physician, endocrinologist, neurologist, special education, audiologist for needful services from their disciplines.
12. Follow up: Review the services provided, assess the utilization of rehabilitation skills taught and recommend further suggestions.
Services offered for adults and elderly (16+ age groups)
1. Individual counseling: Counseling to cope up with vision loss. Identifying the functional, psychological and social implications of vision loss and motivating to undergo rehabilitation training for maximized independent living.
2. Educational guidance: Career readiness, preparation of Braille, large print and talking books, assistance in getting school/college admission, supply of educational materials and devices, selection of courses, selection of learning media, suggestion in using aids and appliances, describing the educational facilities from Government
3. Vocational guidance and placement: service helps the persons who are blind and visually impaired attain their desired vocational goals. The principal services provided includes
- Skill, ability and interest evaluation
- Vocational counselling and decision - making process
- Pre - employment preparation
- Task analysis and training in a selected trade
4. Training in independent living skills:
- Orientation and Mobility: Assessing the mobility problems indoors and out door. Teaching of skills to navigate independently, safely and gracefully using the sighted guide or long cane. Suggestions in using appropriate non-optical devices such as peaked cap, tinted glass and flashlight for better use of vision for travel.
- Money identification: Techniques in identifying the currency and coins
- Home Management: Skills including, safe kitchen management, adaptations on materials, special techniques for performing specific task, includes cooking, dusting, sweeping, ironing, needle threading etc.
- Personal skills: Techniques in executing skills such as make-up, ironing, shaving, color matching dresses, filing, food identification etc.,
5. Environment modifications: Suggestions in modifying the surroundings for utilizing the residual vision in enhanced way.
6. Training in using computer assistive software: Instructional training to work on computer using specialized software that has screen readers and magnifiers thus enhance academic achievement and assist in acquiring meaningful employment.
7. Supportive services: Issuing medical certificate and railway concessions and explaining eligibility details on supportive facilities that includes travel, educational, financial, employment benefits from Government and private sector based on vision loss.
8. Referral: Consultation with therapist such as physiotherapist, speech therapist, psychologist, general physician, endocrinologist, neurologist, audiologist for needful services from their disciplines.
9. Follow up: Review the services provided, assess the utilization of rehabilitation skills taught and recommend further suggestions.