Low Vision News
International Society for Low-vision Research and Rehabilitation
Issue 3 September 2001

President's Message
Dear Members of ISLRR,
The planning of the VISION 2002 conference in Gothenburg, Sweden, July 21-25, is in full swing. The second 
announcement was distributed in the spring and the third announcement, including call for abstracts and registration 
will be distributed in the fall. I am certain it will be a wonderful conference. Several of the top scientists in our field 
already agreed to come and present their latest results. Conference highlights are on page 4 of this issue.
For VISION 2005, we have now two offers. The Japanese group gave us an offer already in 1999 to arrange the 
conference in Kobe, Japan, and the Royal National Institute for the Blind in London, Great Britain, has recently 
offered to arrange the conference in London. Aries Arditi and I are going to both sites during the fall to analyse the 
facilities. Both offers seem to be very good. After we have seen both facilities, the ISLRR Board will have to discuss 
both sites and make a decision. It is necessary to do so before VISION 2002 in order to give the host organization 
plenty of lead time to plan a successful conference.
We see continuous progress in our field. Low-vision sessions were arranged at the ARVO Meeting in Florida in 
May, e.g. by the Low Vision Research Group, and in Istanbul, Turkey, at the European Ophthalmology Meeting, 
organized by ISLRR member and Trustee Gus Colenbrander. Very recently, Gregory Goodrich attended a 
technology conference in Pittsburgh, where new electronic and other devices were presented. See article on page 3.
We now have five Institutional Members: the Lighthouse International, U.S.A., the Royal National Institute for the 
Blind, U.K., Christoffel Blindenmission, Germany, O.N.C.E., Spain, and the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, 
U.K. Thanks to the fees from Institutional Members, we are able to finance expenses such as part of the cost of our 
official journal, Vision Impairment Research, and a part-time person to assist us.
Our Secretary, Aries Arditi, our Treasurer, Gregory Goodrich, and myself have been discussing the possibility of 
changing the name of our organization to more clearly indicate that we are covering a broad field of low vision and 
blindness. This matter will be discussed and voted on at the Membership meeting at VISION 2002 in Gothenburg. 
See the related article on page 4. 
It is important that ISLRR’s membership increases, worldwide. You, who are already a member, please help out 
recruiting new members. When you recruit a new member, send an email message to Aries Arditi 
(aries.arditi@us.ibm.com) or a fax message +1 (914) 784-6023, and he or our new assistant, Lorna Frazier-Lindsey, 
will arrange the formalities. The membership fee of US$100 includes a subscription to our journal: Visual 
Impairment Research.
When we have our Membership meeting at the VISION 2002 conference, I will have been your President for three 
years. I recently retired from my professorship, and it is also time for me to step down as President of ISLRR.
The daily handling of ISLRR matters has been taken care of mainly by Aries Arditi, Gregory Goodrich, and myself, 
and I want to thank Aries and Greg warmly for a stimulating and fruitful collaboration.
Sven Erik G. Nilsson ¨
Changes within ISLRR
ISLRR announces some recent changes in the administration of the Society, including address and staffing changes. 
In his role as ISLRR’s Secretary, Aries Arditi has been receiving all of the Society’s mail. Since he recently joined 
the IBM staff at the TJ Watson Research Center in New York, ISLRR’s address has changed as well. You can 
contact ISLRR at the following address:
ISLRR – Attn: Aries Arditi
c/o IBM TJ Watson Research Center
30 Saw Mill River Road
Hawthorne, NY 10532 USA
+1 (914) 784-7835
+1 (914) 784-6023 fax
aries.arditi@us.ibm.com
As Secretary, Aries also oversees the administrative functions of the organization. For the past 3 years, Aries has 
relied on the administrative assistance of Lighthouse International staff member Sandra Garabello to help with 
processing membership renewals and applications, updating the web site, producing the Low Vision News 
newsletter, and other day-to-day Society functions. Unfortunately, with the ISLRR “office” no longer located at 
Lighthouse International, Sandra is no longer able to assist the Society. We wish to thank her for her hard work and 
dedication to ISLRR and to recognize all of her efforts in supporting the organization. 
In early August, Lorna Frazier-Lindsey became the Society’s new staff assistant. Lorna will be working part time 
from her home in Stafford, Virginia, and can be reached by phone +01 (540) 720-7285 or e-mail 
lornafl@worldnet.att.net. Lorna joins ISLRR with over 15 years of association experience. Her most recent position 
being assistant director of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired 
(AER). Please do not hesitate to contact Lorna if you have any questions or items you wish to submit for publication 
in Low Vision News.¨
Upcoming Events
Oct. 27-28, 2001 - Stresa, Italy
Eurosight 2001 Low Vision Conference “The Challenge of Visual Rehabilitation in Early Infancy” Over 15 speakers 
from around the globe will conduct a variety of sessions on the topics of epidemiology, assessment, rehabilitation, 
and experimental studies. A facultative visit to the “Robert Hollman Foundation” Early Intervention Center for 
Visually Impaired Children in Cannero Riviera is included with your registration. Special note: ISLRR members 
receive a 20% discount off registration fees. For registration forms call ++39 0323 78 84 85 or for additional 
information visit the web site www.congressitalia.it
Nov. 8-11, 2001 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The 5th Biennial Getting In Touch with Literacy Conference. This conference offers 32 concurrent sessions, six 
showcase sessions, numerous posters, and over 25 exhibitors. Topics cover all aspects of literacy, including braille, 
literacy for individuals with low vision, and the use of technology. For registration information, contact Ellen 
Croucher at ellenc@mdschblind.org or phone +01 (410) 444-5000
Dec. 6-10, 2001 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
American Academy of Optometry “Preventable Vision Loss: Academy 2001” The annual meeting of the Academy 
has many sessions devoted to vision rehabilitation research. For additional information, visit www.aaopt.org
July 17-22, 2002 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER) International Conference. 
For additional information, call +01 (877) 492-2708 or www.aerbvi.org
Feb. 19-22, 2003 - Beverly Hills, California
Co-sponsored by the American Foundation for the Blind and Foundation for the Junior Blind Vision Loss in the 21st 
Century – Everybody’s Business. For more information, call +1 (323) 295-4555 or www.afb.org or www.fjb.org¨
2001: A Technology Odyssey - A Unique Conference
2001: A Technology Odyssey was a unique conference that recently took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. What 
made this conference so different was that it was solely on the topic of Assistive Technology and included 
demonstrations of the latest technology followed by hands-on computer workshops. The conference, which received 
rave reviews by the standing-room only crowd, was co-hosted by the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) and 
the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER).
The meeting explored the future of access technology through lectures, presentations, and hands-on training using 
the newest access software and devices. More than 400 attendees divided their time between 26 hands-on 
workshops, 36 one-hour manufacturer demonstra-tions of the latest assistive technology, and 43 paper presentations 
on assistive technology training techniques, research, and product development for people who are blind or visually 
impaired. 
“There is a critical shortage of professionals who are qualified to provide specialized computer skills training to 
blind and visually impaired people, which significantly affects our viability in today’s job market,” said AFB 
president and CEO Carl R. Augusto. “Thus the collaboration of AFB and AER has made a large contribution in 
eliminating that deficiency.”
Featured speakers included Richard Chandler, chairman and president of Freedom Scientific, Inc., and John 
Williams, assistive technology columnist for BusniessWeek Online. DeWitt & Associates, Consultants on 
Accessibility, whose mission is to break down barriers faced by individuals with disabilities, donated its expertise by 
providing the design, curriculum, and instructors 
for the hands-on computer workshops including the set up and installation of the assistive technology and 
applications on the computers used at the conference.
2001: A Technology Odyssey also benefited from the generosity of COMPAQ – a leading global provider of 
technology and solutions that is changing the landscape of enterprise computing – which loaned twenty computers 
to the conference to create a practice room where people tried what they learned during the conference. 
Assistive technology companies represented at the conference included: Ai Squared; American Print-ing House for 
the Blind; Artic Technologies; ALVA Access Group; BRYTEC, Inc.; Clarity Solutions; Dancing Dots; Duxbury 
Systems; Enabling Technologies; Eschenbach; Enhanced Vision Systems; Freedom Scientific, Blind/Low Vision 
Group; Freedom Vision; GW Micro; HumanWare; Innoventions, Inc.; Jbliss Imaging Systems; Kurzweil 
Educational Systems; Magnisight; Plextor; Pulse Data; Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic; Repro-Tronics; 
RxPartners; Sighted Electronics; Telesensory; TECSO; and VisuAide¨
Proposed Name Change
After several discussions, ISLRR’s Executive Board is proposing a name change of the organization from 
International Society of Low-vision Research and Rehabilitation to the International Society for Vision 
Rehabilitation Research. The Executive Board believes that it is important that our organization’s name accurately 
reflect our members’ activities in the broad field of low vision and blindness. 
Before ISLRR can change its name, a vote of the membership must take place. The name change issue will be 
discussed during the VISION 2002 Conference, July 21-25, 2002, in Göteborg, Sweden. A vote will follow the 
discussion during the Conference. If you are unable to attend the Conference, but would like to provide your opinion 
on the proposed change, please send your letter addressed to the Board of Trustees, to ISLRR, c/o Lorna Frazier-
Lindsey, 109 Scarsdale Drive, Stafford, VA 22554 USA, or e-mail your comments to lornafl@worldnett.att.net. 
Your opinion on the proposed change will be distributed to the Board of Trustees prior to the meeting. 
In addition, ISLRR’s logo is getting a new and updated look. The changed logo will assist ISLRR in being 
recognized for its work in vision and internationalism. Watch for this new logo on future correspondence.¨ 
VISION 2002
The 7th International Conference on Low Vision, VISION 2002, will take place in less than a year, and meeting 
plans are well underway. Our beautiful location in Göteborg, is also a convenient gateway to other scenic Nordic 
and European cities. The Swedish Exhibition Congress Center will prove to be a practical and pleasant location for 
our conference. Mark your calendars now to join us July 21-25, 2002. 

With the conference quickly approaching, here are some important dates to remember: 
· The deadline for abstracts is December 1, 2001 (the abstracts will be reviewed by the Scientific Committee)
· Notification of acceptance will be on February 1, 2002
· Early registration begins on March 1, 2002
The conference will focus on research and developments in rehabilitation and outreach for persons with a visual 
impairment in a global perspective. This conference aims at enabling professionals to improve by exchanging 
international information about recent results of research and practice on activity, participation, function, and 
technology, including devices, skills training, psychology, medical aspects and basic science regarding visual 
impairment and disability. 
Professionals and researchers in vision science, ophthalmology, medicine, optometry, special education, linguistics, 
occupational therapy, social work, physiotherapy, psychology, sociology, anthropology, architecture, technology, 
design, culture, art and related areas will benefit greatly from this conference. You will find the answers to your 
questions and stimulation for your continued field work or research