Projects

The dots on the left are moving faster than the dots on the right side of the screen

Motion Perception in Central Field Loss

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The project investigates motion perception in individuals with vision loss due to central retinal lesion, but who retain healthy peripheral retina. Healthy peripheral retina is exquisitely sensitive to fast speeds, however, there is limited and conflicting information about motion processing in residual peripheral retina in patients with central field loss, often due to macular degeneration. We use psychophysical and eye tracking approaches to systematically probe speed and direction sensitivity in this population.

ZoomBoard overview

ZoomBoard: an Affordable, Portable System to Improve Access to Presentations and Lecture Notes for Low Vision Viewers

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The goal of the project is to develop a “ZoomBoard” system that students with low vision can use to better access visual material on a whiteboard or blackboard. The prototype version of the system that we plan to develop in this grant will consist of a dedicated camera system placed by the teacher to capture a view of the board, which wirelessly transmits a video stream that will be displayed on a student’s iPad. The student will use the ZoomBoard app to view this video stream, zoom in on any region of interest using a pinch gesture on the iPad, and apply image enhancements such as contrast…

Reading in mTBI

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People with mTBI often complain about dificulty in reading in spite of normal results in usual eye exams. We investigate this issue by looking at accommodation and reading rate and subjective measurement of reading difficuties for a variaty of reading tasks in normal and mTBI population.

audiobook

Braille, Assistive Technology, and Reading Comprehension

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This project explores the impact of presentation mode (braille vs. audio) and using different assistive technology (i.e., refreshable braille displays and screen reader) on reading comprehension ability. The findings will have direct implications for how to present educational material to enhance comprehension among fluent braille readers.

Graphic of lines of braille with finger trace trajectory superimposed over braille

Regressions in Braille Reading

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This project explores regressions (movements to re-read text) in braille reading. The image on the right plots the braille reading finger movements in blue and regressions in black.

Bill Gerrey testing TVSS technology

The Smith-Kettlewell Technical File

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The Smith-Kettlewell Technical File, edited by William Gerrey (WA6NPC), was a publication by and for blind and visually-impaired electronics professionals and enthusiasts. It was published by the Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute from Fall 1980, through Spring 1998 and was at various times available in Braille, large print, audio cassette, and 5-1/4″ floppy diskette. Although The Smith-Kettlewell Technical File is no longer in active publication, we offer this online archive as a resource of both current and historical value. While many of the articles about devices and techniques remain…

vov9 - 4b

My Vision on Vision

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These short chapters summarize insights that I have gained from more than four decades working in vision rehabilitation. They provide a broader perspective that may be missing in our daily routines, when focused on specific details. Vision involves much more than visual acuity alone. Vision serves our understanding of the environment and our ability to interact with it. To improve all aspects of that interaction is the mission of Vision Rehabilitation.