Factors Related to Braille Acquisition Among Adult and Senior Learners: Establishing Evidence-Based Practice

The ability to read carries important implications for overall self-esteem and independence, as reading is necessary to perform many daily tasks (making grocery lists, reading prescriptions, following recipes). Rehabilitation professionals provide training and support to adults and seniors who are born with visual impairments or who acquire it later in life due to age-related conditions. Within this context, reading related difficulties are among the most common reasons for referral to vision rehabilitation services. Braille, a tactile system of reading for the blind, is one option for individuals who are unable to read print; however, very little is known about the impact of aging on braille learning and usage. The goal of this research is to explore the impact of age-related declines on the ability to read braille, and to investigate the influence of emerging technologies on the training outcomes of older adults who learn braille. TO BE CONT’D

Faculty Supervisor:

Walter Wittich

Student:

Natalina Martiniello

Partner:

Canadian National Institute for the Blind

Discipline:

Medicine

Sector:

Medical devices

University:

Program: