April is Occupational Therapy Awareness Month. According to the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), occupational therapy helps people participate in everyday activities. “Common occupational therapy interventions include helping children with disabilities to participate fully in school and social situations, helping people recovering from injury to regain skills, and providing supports for older adults experiencing physical and cognitive changes.” Occupational therapists often visit children and adults at school, home, or work to make recommendations on assistive technology, adaptive equipment, and adjustments that can be made to meet the needs of the individuals.
How does Occupational Therapy benefit those with low vision? Through occupational therapy, someone with a vision impairment can learn to fully utilize their remaining vision. Recommended adjustments at home, work, or school may include:
- Adding tactile or color-coded markers to items so they are easily identifiable
- Updating or increasing lighting
- Adding adaptive equipment or assistive technology as needed
- Organizing your space to reduce clutter and tripping hazards
An occupational therapist can help an individual learn new ways to accomplish daily tasks such as cooking, grooming, reading, and writing. When you want to start something new, such as a job, a hobby, or taking classes, occupational therapy helps you accomplish these tasks.
How to qualify for occupational therapy services? If your child needs occupational therapy services, connect with their teacher and ask about receiving services at school. As an adult with low vision, you can talk to your eye care professional, low vision specialist, or primary care doctor to request an evaluation by an occupational therapist.
Learn more about Low Vision and Occupational Therapy
Join us for a live webinar as we discuss modifying activities around the home, how Occupational Therapy can benefit those with low vision, and how portable video magnifiers can make daily activities easier. Don’t miss out on this educational hour as we demonstrate the RUBY portable video magnifiers live and answer your questions in real time!
Low Vision and Occupational Therapy: Enhancing Independence
Thursday, April 3 at Noon Eastern time
ACVREP credits available for those who attend the live presentation
Interested in the topic but can’t attend the webinar? Register for the webinar and we will send you the link to the archive once it is available.