TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2017//
TI  - Vision-related fitness to drive mobility scooters: a practical driving test
JO  - Journal of rehabilitation medicine
A1  - Cordes, Christina
A1  - Heutink, Joost
A1  - Tucha, Oliver M.
A1  - Brookhuis, Karel A.
A1  - Brouwer, Wiebo H.
A1  - Melis-Dankers, Bart J. M.
SP  - 270
EP  - 276
VL  - 49
IS  - 3
N2  - OBJECTIVE: To investigate practical fitness to drive mobility scooters, comparing visually impaired participants with healthy controls. <br><br>DESIGN: Between-subjects design. SUBJECTS: Forty-six visually impaired (13 with very low visual acuity, 10 with low visual acuity, 11 with peripheral field defects, 12 with multiple visual impairment) and 35 normal-sighted controls. <br><br>METHODS: Participants completed a practical mobility scooter test-drive, which was recorded on video. Two independent occupational therapists specialized in orientation and mobility evaluated the videos systematically. <br><br>RESULTS: Approximately 90% of the visually impaired participants passed the driving test. On average, participants with visual impairments performed worse than normal-sighted controls, but were judged sufficiently safe. In particular, difficulties were observed in participants with peripheral visual field defects and those with a combination of low visual acuity and visual field defects. <br><br>CONCLUSION: People with visual impairment are, in practice, fit to drive mobility scooters; thus visual impairment on its own should not be viewed as a determinant of safety to drive mobility scooters. However, special attention should be paid to individuals with visual field defects with or without a combined low visual acuity. The use of an individual practical fitness-to-drive test is advised.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1650-1977
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.2340/16501977-2194
ID  - ref1
ER  -