Department of Paediatric Ophthalmology, Strabismus and Vision Rehabilitation Aravind Eye Hospital, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Indian J Ophthalmol. 2023 Oct;71(10):3313-3317. doi: 10.4103/IJO.IJO_73_23.
To evaluate the impact of special software training in computer and smartphone apps as a form of rehabilitation to improve the quality of life of individuals with visual impairment (VI).
The study utilized a one-group pretest-posttest design. A total of 50 individuals aged 15 years and older with VI participated in the training, which included special software (NVDA) and mobile app training for 60 hours at the Visual Rehabilitation Center. The Low Vision Quality of Life Questionnaire was administered before the start of training and six months after completion. The questionnaire covered the following domains: (1) mobility, distance vision, and lighting; (2) reading and fine work; (3) social well-being; (4) economic impact; (5) attitude toward life; and (6) activities of daily living. Statistical software STATA 14.0 (Texas, USA) was used for data analysis. Paired t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were conducted to compare the mean differences before and after training.
Significant improvements were observed in five dimensions, namely mobility, distance vision and lighting, reading and fine work, and attitude toward life, at a highly significant level of 1% probability. The dimensions of social well-being and economic impact showed significant improvement at a 5% level of probability.
Visual impairment, whether congenital or acquired later in life, affects independence in all aspects of life. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the impact of special software training on the quality of life of visually impaired individuals. The authors suggest that this form of rehabilitation enhances accessibility to mainstream living, promotes independence, and ultimately improves quality of life. Participants experienced an improved quality of life through increased access to mainstream resources, enhanced ability to navigate and manage daily activities independently, and reduced reliance on multiple low vision aids or assistance from sighted individuals.
评估计算机和智能手机应用程序专项软件培训作为康复手段对改善视障人士生活质量的影响。
本研究采用单组前后测设计。共有 50 名 15 岁及以上的视障人士参与了培训，培训内容包括视觉康复中心的特殊软件（NVDA）和移动应用程序培训，共 60 小时。在培训开始前和完成后 6 个月，使用低视力生活质量问卷进行评估。问卷涵盖以下领域：（1）行动、远距离视力和照明；（2）阅读和精细工作；（3）社会幸福感；（4）经济影响；（5）生活态度；（6）日常生活活动。使用 STATA 14.0 统计软件（美国德克萨斯州）进行数据分析。采用配对 t 检验和 Wilcoxon 符号秩检验比较培训前后的均值差异。
在移动、远距离视力和照明、阅读和精细工作以及生活态度五个维度上观察到显著改善，在 1%概率水平上具有高度显著性。社会幸福感和经济影响维度在 5%概率水平上显示出显著改善。
视障无论是先天性还是后天获得的，都会影响生活的各个方面的独立性。据我们所知，这是第一项研究特殊软件培训对视障人士生活质量影响的研究。作者认为这种康复形式增强了对主流生活的可及性，促进了独立性，最终提高了生活质量。参与者通过增加对主流资源的获取、增强独立导航和管理日常活动的能力以及减少对多种低视力辅助工具或视力正常者的依赖，提高了生活质量。
