Survey assesses accessibility to eye clinic for people with low vision
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Key takeaways:
- A survey performed at the Wilmer Eye Institute assessed accessibility for people with low vision.
- Restrooms, entrances, exits and exam rooms were the least accessible, and some areas need better lighting.
NEW ORLEANS — A survey assessing accessibility to an eye clinic for people with visual impairment showed that there is still a need for improvement in terms of building design.
The SiteWise survey was used to assess the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins.
“Vulnerable populations such as the visually impaired and elderly face difficulties navigating health care facilities, increasing their risk of injury or falls and limiting health care access,” Jason Dossantos and colleagues wrote in in a poster presentation at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting. Currently, U.S. regulations do not cover all the specific issues visually impaired people face in public facilities.
An 83-items checklist was created by a team of vision rehabilitation specialists and occupational therapists, and the assessment covered eight locations inside and outside the clinic. Two graders performed the assessment independently.
“We were able to grade the Johns Hopkins main hospital campus and found that hallways, waiting areas, and parking lots and sidewalks were the most accessible to patients with low vision,” Dossantos told Healio/OSN. “Exam rooms, entrances and exits, and restrooms were the least accessible for patients with low vision.”
Specifically, measurements with photometers showed that lighting should be improved in hallways, waiting rooms, restrooms and entrances.
“What may be bright for us may not be bright for patients with low vision. That was probably the most consistent finding — that a lot of these areas were not bright enough and didn’t have enough contrast,” Dossantos said.
The SiteWise survey will be released to allow other clinics to grade their facilities.
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Dossantos J, et al. Assessing eye clinic design and accessibility features. Presented at: Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting; April 23-27, 2023; New Orleans.
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