• social workers,
• occupational therapists,
• community advocates,
• recreational specialists,
• and personnel in independent living centers,

• senior centers,
• long-term care,
• assisted living communities,
• veterans’ centers, and
• hospitals

1. The Eye and Vision (3 Contact Hours)
This introductory course will give you information about the parts and function of the human eye; normal vision changes that occur with age; and the effects of cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy on visual function. The course contains hyperlinks that will bring you directly to our VisionAWARE.org web site, where you can access additional information and resources about blindness, visual impairment, and low vision.

It also includes downloadable documents that provide hands-on experiential activities to simulate the effects of certain types of vision loss. These activities are fun, instructive, and easy-to-do. At the conclusion of the course, you’ll be asked to complete a short quiz. When you complete the quiz, you’ll be provided with a Certificate of Completion for three contact hours.

In this course, you will learn:

• Facts and statistics about vision loss
• The human eye and how it works
• Normal vision changes that occur as we get older
• The effects of these normal vision changes via vision simulation exercises
• The four major eye diseases: cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy
• The effects of these four major eye diseases on visual function

SUMMER DISCOUNT COURSE FEE: $20

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2. Low Vision & Optical Devices (4 Contact Hours)
This introductory course will give you information about the definitions of low vision, the types of eye care professionals, the components of a low vision examination, and the different categories and types of types of low vision optical and non-optical devices. The course contains hyperlinks that will bring you directly to our VisionAWARE.org web site, where you can access additional information about low vision examinations, low vision optical and non-optical devices, and state-by-state vision rehabilitation resources.

It also includes downloadable documents that provide additional information about low vision notation, prescription symbols, and tips about using magnifiers and lighting to help with reading. At the conclusion of the course, you’ll be asked to complete a short quiz. When you complete the quiz, you’ll be provided with a Certificate of Completion for four contact hours.

Please note that this is an introductory-level course. It will not prepare you to practice low vision or perform low vision evaluations and/or low vision rehabilitation.

In this course, you will learn:

• Definitions of low vision
• The difference between low vision and legal blindness
• The different types of eye care professionals: ophthalmologists, optometrists, and opticians
• The components of a low vision evaluation
• The different types of specialized low vision test charts
• The different categories and types of low vision optical and non-optical devices, including the advantages and disadvantages of each

SUMMER DISCOUNT COURSE FEE: $30

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3. Vision Rehabilitation Services (4 Contact Hours)
This introductory course will give you information about adult learning theory, the different types of professionals who provide vision rehabilitation services, how to locate these vision rehabilitation professionals and services, and how to find resources to help individuals cope with the emotional impact of vision loss.

The course contains hyperlinks that will bring you directly to our VisionAWARE.org web site, where you can access additional information about hints, tips, and techniques for daily living skills you can perform at home, along with resources for locating vision rehabilitation professionals in your home state. At the conclusion of the course, you’ll be asked to complete a short quiz. When you complete the quiz, you’ll be provided with a Certificate of Completion for four contact hours.

In this course, you will learn:

• The benefits of life experience
• How adults learn: andragogy vs. pedagogy
• The different types of vision rehabilitation professionals: low vision therapists, orientation and mobility specialists, and vision rehabilitation therapists
• How to locate vision rehabilitation professionals and services
• Resources for coping with the emotional impact of vision loss

SUMMER DISCOUNT COURSE FEE: $40

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4. Coping with Daily Living Tasks (4 Contact Hours)
This introductory course will give you information about a wide range of adaptive daily living and household devices for adults with vision loss, the principles of universal design, and resources for locating adaptive equipment.

The course contains hyperlinks that will bring you directly to our VisionAWARE.org web site, where you can access additional information about hints, tips, and techniques for daily living skills you can perform at home, along with resources for locating vision rehabilitation services in your local area. At the conclusion of the course, you’ll be asked to complete a short quiz. When you complete the quiz, you’ll be provided with a Certificate of Completion for four contact hours.

In this course you will learn about tips, techniques, and adaptive equipment for:

• Pouring liquids
• Telephone adaptations
• Identifying and organizing medications
• Marking and labeling household items
• Money identification and organization
• Reading, writing, and correspondence
• Telling time and selecting an adapted timepiece
• Needle threading
• Recreational activities

SUMMER DISCOUNT COURSE FEE: $30

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5. Environmental Assessment (15 Contact Hours)
This advanced course will give you information about the definitions of environmental assessment and environmental modification; the role of vision in exploring and interpreting the environment; lighting definitions and measurement; color and contrast; distance and time factors; signage and lettering; the principles of universal design; and appropriate assessment checklists and materials.

The course contains hyperlinks that will bring you directly to our VisionAWARE.org web site, where you can access additional information and resources about blindness, visual impairment, low vision, techniques for daily living skills, home modification, and state-by-state vision rehabilitation resources.

It also includes downloadable documents that provide hands-on experiential activities to simulate the effects of certain types of vision loss. These activities are fun, instructive, and easy-to-do. At the conclusion of the course, you’ll be asked to complete a short quiz. When you complete the quiz, you’ll be provided with a Certificate of Completion for fifteen contact hours.

Please note that this is an advanced-level course. In order to derive maximum benefit from it, we recommend that you have knowledge of the subject matter contained in Course 1: The Eye and Vision and Course 2: Low Vision and Optical Devices.

In this course, you will learn the following:

Introduction

• Definitions of environmental assessment and environmental modification
• The “basics” of environmental assessment
• The role of vision in exploring and interpreting the environment

Lighting Definitions and Measurement

• Definitions of lighting terms
• Defining and using the Inverse Square Law
• Wattage and lumen comparisons
• Light waves and their relationship to color

Types of Light

• The different types of light: natural sunlight, incandescent, fluorescent, compact fluorescent, combination, and halogen
• The characteristics of each type of light
• The types and causes of glare

Color and Contrast

• The characteristics of color: hue, saturation, and intensity
• Principles for the use of color in environments for people with low vision
• Principles and types of contrast
• Using contrast in conjunction with color and lighting

Distance, Time, and Signage

• Assessing distance factors: relative size and relative distance magnification
• Assessing time factors: duration and speed of presentation
• Signage and lettering for people with low vision
• Principles of universal design
• Supplies for the environmental assessment

SUMMER DISCOUNT COURSE FEE: $75

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