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Darren Awang
Dr. Gillian Ward
Living and Working with Disability
Applied Research Group
Coventry University
Valerie
http://www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk/support-us/real-life-
examples/valeries-story,558,SA.html
Sight loss – facts & figures
Worldwide
c.314 million people with visual impairments
c.82% are over 50 years old
World Health Organisation 2009
UK
2 million people in UK with a sight problem
Over 370,000 registered as partially sighted
Increased incidence with old age
95% of people with sight problems are over 65
Macular degeneration, cataracts, diabetic
retinopathy main causes
RNIB 2005

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Background to the study
What is the status of visual impairment
within Occupational Therapy curriculum
development?
What are the gaps in knowledge?
What post graduate learning opportunities
exist and what do therapists want?
Aim of the research
to identify the continuing professional
development needs of occupational
therapists in the area of sight loss and
to identify ways that these educational
needs could be met to improve the lives of
people with sight loss
Objectives
To examine training issues around sight loss
amongst occupational therapists
To investigate the inclusion of sight loss within
the occupational therapy curriculum
To explore the continuing professional
development needs for occupational therapists in
the area of sight loss

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Who was involved in the research?
Living and Working with Disability Applied
Research Group, Coventry University
(researchers)
Thomas Pocklington Trust (funders)
College of Occupational Therapists
Specialist Sections - Older People and
Housing
Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) providing
OT education (participants)
Method
Cross sectional survey design
Part one – an online questionnaire to
members of the College of Occupational
Therapists Specialist Sections - Older
People and Housing
Part two – telephone interviews with Higher
Education Institutes offering undergraduate
occupational therapy education
Part 1 response rates
(practitioners)
The email link sent to 870 members of the specialist
sections.
519 College of OT Specialist Section - Older people
351 College of OT Specialist Section - Housing.
248 individuals logged in and started the questionnaire.
241 are included in the analysis. 7 were excluded
The overall response rate to the survey was 28%.
- 160 (30.8%) older people specialist section members
- 81 (23.6%) housing specialist section members

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Key results – part one
70% (162/232) worked with older adults and likely to
be working with people with sight loss
One third felt that their education had not provided
them with sufficient knowledge on sight loss for their
first post
Following their education only 2% felt confident in
assessing and giving advice to people with visual
impairment whilst 59% described themselves as
being “not at all” or “barely” confident
Key Results– part one
A quarter stated that their sight loss training needs
had not been fully met post qualification in terms of
Continuing Professional Development opportunities
Sight loss was viewed as a secondary diagnosis
during assessment, a quarter did not include sight
loss routinely within their assessments
58% had taken additional training and overall only
14% felt that they were confident in assessment and
planning interventions
Training needs
Regardless of whether any additional training had been
undertaken 81% needed more training
Of these 69% wanted intermediate level training
58% thought it needed to be accredited but 42% did not
feel this was important
Priority areas included:
Adaptation of the environment, lighting, risk assessment,
colour contrast, assistive technology, impact on
occupational performance, eye conditions, mobility

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Part two response rates (HEIs)
30 HEIs in the United Kingdom (excluding
the pilot site) offering a BSc. (Honours)
Degree in Occupational Therapy
19 were interviewed (overall response rate
63%)
Findings- part two
95% said sight loss was only partly
addressed in their curriculum with nearly
two thirds (63%) stating it had a low
priority
45% felt sight loss deserved more
emphasis due to the increasing population
of older people and reflections made as
part of participating in this research
Findings- part two
None felt their graduates were well prepared to
work with people who have sight loss
79% felt that barriers existed to increasing sight
loss education particularly in relation to
curriculum pressures and the availability of
expertise
Almost all felt that extra resources related to
sight loss would be helpful

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Conclusions
There is much to be done to equip
occupational therapists with the skills and
knowledge needed to support best practice
to improve outcomes for people with sight
loss.
UK Vision Strategy
3 strategic outcomes are identified in the UK Vision
Strategy:
1. Improving the eye health of the people of the UK.
2. Eliminating avoidable sight loss and delivering
excellent support for people with sight loss.
3. Inclusion, participation and independence for
people with sight loss.
http://www.vision2020uk.org.uk/
How to obtain further information
A full report in the form of an ‘Occasional Paper’ entitled:
Improving outcomes for people with sight loss: identifying
the Continuing Professional Development needs of
Occupational Therapists is available from: Thomas
Pocklington Trust, 5 Castle Row, Horticultural Place, London W4
4JQ
Web www.pocklington-trust.org.uk
or see
Campion C, Awang D, Ward G (2010) Broadening the vision:
the education and training needs of occupational therapists
working with people with sight loss. British Journal of
Occupational Therapy, 73(9), 413-421.
Contact details: Darren Awang d.awang@coventry.ac.uk

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References
Action for Blind People (2010) available at:
http://www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk/support-us/real-life-
examples/valeries-story,558,SA.html Accessed on 11/10/2010
RNIB (2008) Available at:
http://www.rnib.org.uk/aboutus/Research/statistics/prevalence/Docu
ments/2008_3_Revised-Prevalence_Stats_PDF.PDF Accessed on
11/10/2010
VISION 2020. Available at: http://www.vision2020uk.org.uk/
Accessed on 11/10/2010
World Health Organisation (2009) Visual impairment and blindness,
fact sheet no. 282. Available at:
www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs282/en/ Accessed on
11/10/2010