Optometrists often equate ring scotoma with night blindness due to the unnerving visual blackout it causes. A ring scotoma is actually a common result of macular degeneration which creates a doughnut-shaped blind spot in the eyes and can exceed 15 to 65 percent of your total visual capacity. Determining the best course of action for a low vision condition depends on the type and severity of vision restriction. For many, therapeutic exercises are often a solution to the visual awkwardness that accompanies the often permanent vision impairment of ring scotoma.
Spatial Orientation
In the book "Foundations of Orientation and Mobility," Dr. Bruce Blasch says that spatial orientation teaches those with low vision impairments such as ring scotoma to determine their location in relationship to their environment. Spatial orientation methods are categorized as self-to-object and object-to-object; the former representing more frequented environments and the latter less frequented. The methods include knowing when to use the lateral positioning of "right" and "left" and cartographic organization such as building and street numbering systems and fixed reference points such as "north."
Color Stripe Reading Trail
The island or peephole of vision that exists at the center of a ring scotoma often contains compromised visual acuity, according to occupational therapist Michelle Bianchi of the Center for Vision Rehabilitation. As the island draws the attention of the eyes, placing a color stripe on reading material that incorporates color changes focuses the eyes in a sequential and stable way, Bianchi says. The color stripe trail utilizes vertical color stripe patterns either under or over text using acetate sheets and may also include magnification devices.
Landmark Techniques
Your ability to navigate through the world largely depends on the sight perceptions that determine reason ability. The visual blackout that occurs with ring scotoma requires the rest of your senses to kick it up a notch. Landmark exercises redefine the definition of "landmark" to include sound, touch and smell. Occupational therapists often teach those with low vision to link information points, or primary and secondary landmarks that convey a location when put together, according to Blasch.
References
- "Foundations of Orientation and Mobility"; Bruce Blasch et al; 2010
- American Occupational Therapy Association: Finding Your Passion in Your Occupational Therapy Career
