Free Resources for Healthcare, Aging, and Social Work Professionals

Time and again, professionals in disciplines such as healthcare, aging, and social work are not aware of best practices in working with adults who are blind or have low vision. Yet, among Americans 40 years of age and older, 12 million+ report significant difficulty seeing, resulting in reduced ability to engage in necessary daily tasks and a much higher incidence of falls. Further, between 2015 and 2050, the number of people 40 years and older who are blind or visually impaired is expected to double. Learning how to appropriately serve and work with adults who are blind or low vision is critical. The following resources are free, and some offer CEs. 

Vision Health 

The Tennessee Public Health Training Center offers a free vision health course that addresses adults with blind or low vision in practice. The audience includes the public health practice community and health professionals, doctors, and nurses nationwide. The course includes information on recognizing vision problems, strategies to interact and assist, and building community capacity. It carries a maximum of 2.0 hours of AMA PRA Category 1 Credit. 

Best Practices Guide for Hospitals Interacting with People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired  

The American Foundation for the Blind has put together a Best Practices Guide,  which includes training materials for ancillary support staff, food services, admissions, and guest services. The materials offer do’s and don’ts and instructions on how to interact appropriately with patients who are blind/have low vision. The guide includes two videos and handouts for each type of staff.  

Mississippi State University National Training and Resource Center OIB-TAC 

The Older Individuals Who are Blind — Technical Assistance Center (OIB-TAC) provides self-paced courses for a variety of professionals: 

• “Care for Occupational Therapy Patients with Low Vision: A Model for Building Successful Partnerships” is for occupational therapists new to interacting with patients experiencing blindness or low vision. Topics include the anatomy of the eye, common eye conditions, compensatory strategies, appropriate behavior while engaging with those who are blind or have low vision, and the importance of collaboration with vision rehabilitation professionals.  

• “Practical Information for Social Workers New to Interacting with Older Adults Experiencing Vision Impairment or Blindness” familiarizes social workers with strategies and techniques for interacting with older adults with blind or low vision. It carries one CE credit from the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. 

• “T.I.P.S. for Helping People with Vision Problems” offers practical strategies to enhance the lives of individuals who have trouble seeing, such as best practices for creating a safe and accessible environment that promotes independence and dignity. The target audience is anyone who may interact with individuals who experience blindness or low vision, such as healthcare workers, public transportation drivers, flight attendants, senior center and nursing home staff, and restaurant workers. 

• MSU offers a variety of other free courses on all aspects of aging and vision loss. Some of these include:  

• understanding low vision and eye conditions  

• learning about the intersection of vision and other chronic conditions  

• adjustment to vision loss, and more.   

APH ConnectCenter Webinars 

APH offers webinars related to blindness and low vision for various audiences. Visit the webinar page for more details. 

National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC) 

The NADTC offers Two Training Resources: 

• A pamphlet for drivers of transport vehicles provides techniques for helping older passengers with vision loss and ways to help drivers identify passengers who may need assistance. 

• Guidance for Transportation Providers offers guidance to transportation providers to better serve older adults who are blind/have low vision.  

In light of the growing population of adults experiencing blindness or low vision, professionals across healthcare, aging, and social service sectors need to equip themselves with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide effective and respectful care.