H E Talsma
Visio, Regionale Instelling Zuid-West Nederland, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Workers in the field of rehabilitation for visually impaired people must teach themselves an attitude that makes it possible for visually impaired people to perform activities and participate in society. This is a different attitude than that required for surveying visual functions to diagnose the disease or disorder of the visual system. Visually impaired people are concerned with the tasks they are not able to perform: like getting dressed, cooking meals, take a walk independently, manage finances or go shopping. In a broader scope it is about not being able to participate in work, family life, social or society life. Rehabilitation needs an interdisciplinary approach. Low vision comes at different levels: disease/disorder, impairments, activities and participation. These levels described in the classification system of the ICIDH-2 are the basis of a model used by Visio, rehabilitation centre for visually impaired people and blind people. The ICIDH-2 provides a mutual language for all professionals participating in the rehabilitation process: among others ophthalmologist, optometrist, orthoptists, occupational therapists and social workers. Application of this model enables the professionals to come to joint insights. ICIDH-2 discriminates from earlier classification by focussing on possibilities for visually impaired people to perform activities and participate rather than focussing on what is not possible anymore. Cases point out that before treating visually impaired people to accept their changed position in society and teach them to adjust their activities and daily functioning, one should first concentrate on inventorying impairments and minimising their effects. This strategy leaves a maximal room to preserve the persons identity.
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