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This is a course for qualified optometrists who want to specialise in visual impairment and update their knowledge on recent developments in the field particularly related to assistive technology. Upon completion of the course participants will be able to assess and mange a variety of visually impaired people both in a hospital and community setting.

No starting dates

  • Starting date to be confirmed

    • Duration: 2 weeks (unconfirmed)

Course overview

From time to time, every eye care practitioner will encounter patients who suffer from irreversible vision loss. With an increasing ageing population, these numbers are set to rise and many more eye care practitioners will need to enhance their knowledge and understanding of optometric and general issues relating to the needs of visually impaired people in order to serve the community effectively.

This course enhances your knowledge of low-vision assessment and management, including the latest assistive technologies relevant to visual impairment.

Who is it for?

This course is for qualified optometrists who want to specialise in visual impairment.

Timetable

Module dates for the new academic year will be confirmed by August 2021.

Benefits

By specialising in visual impairment, you will expand your current scope of practice to include working in a hospital setting.

Credits

This course is worth 15 credits toward eligible programmes.

What will I learn?

On this course you will learn about:

  • definitions and epidemiology of visual impairment
  • registration and certification process in the UK including benefits of registration
  • assessing visual performance and refracting a patient with visual impairment
  • different organisations involved in low-vision care in the UK including different service modules
  • optics of low-vision devices
  • prescription and dispensing of optical, non-optical and electronic aids
  • rehabilitation techniques such as eccentric viewing and steady eye fixation strategy
  • the use of contrast and lighting to maximise performance in visually impaired people
  • children and visual impairment including the law relating to low-vision service provision in this population
  • optometric management of visually impaired patients including children
  • psychosocial effect of visual impairment and its management.

Assessment and certificates

Teaching

This low-vision course is taught by experienced low-vision practitioners, and is a mix of blended learning and two days of face-to-face teaching. Participants will receive all the online reading and course materials approximately four weeks before the course. The two teaching days are run back-to-back.

Assessment

Assessment takes place approximately eight weeks later after the two-day course.

The assessment consists of a multiple-choice question paper, a practical skills assessment (OSCE) and a 2,000-word written assignment.

The pass mark for all assessments is 50%. The multiple-choice question paper accounts for 30% of your overall mark, the OSCE accounts for 50% of your overall mark and the written assignment accounts for 20% of your overall mark.

Award

This is a professional and an academic qualification. On successful completion of this course you will receive 15 postgraduate credits, which count towards an MSc in Clinical Optometry. You will also receive a College of Optometrists accredited professional certificate in low vision and CET points.

Credits

This course is worth 15 credits toward eligible programmes.

Eligibility

  • You should normally be a UK-registered optometrist satisfying all legal requirements to be eligible to practise in the UK
  • Overseas optometrists will be accepted on an ad hoc basis providing your undergraduate syllabus and clinical responsibilities are similar to those of a UK optometrist.

English requirements

For those students whose first language is not English, the following qualification is also required:

  • IELTS: 7.0.

Recommended reading

Suggested reading list will be available on Moodle.

Tutor

  • Dr Ahalya Subramanian

    Senior Lecturer

    Ahalya studied Optometry at the Elite School of Optometry in Chennai, India, where she gained a first-class degree in 1998. She subsequently worked at the Elite School of Optometry as a lecturer, dividing her time between clinical work, teaching and research. In 2000 she came to the UK to take up a position as a research assistant at the University of Manchester and completed a PhD in visual impairment. She moved to Anglia Ruskin University in 2004 and worked as a research fellow investigating reaching and grasping in visually impaired people.

    In early 2006 she passed the Non-EEA exams on her first attempt and registered with the General Optical Council. Later that year she joined City, University of London, where she has worked as Lecturer and Programme Director for the undergraduate optometry and foundation degree courses. She was also divisional lead for the Optometry department from 2016 to 2019 and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2010. Her main area of work has been on improving the quality of life of visually impaired people with particular emphasis on improving reading ability. She also has an interest in assistive technology for visually impaired people.

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