Vision Enhancement Clinic: Improving Quality of Life for Individuals with Visual Impairments

About the Clinic

The Vision Enhancement Clinic is engaged in utilizing the functional ability and improving quality of life of an individual.

Intent of VEC

People with uncorrectable vision impairments have difficulty in their quality of living and independence. With a referral from an Ophthalmologist, Vision Enhancement Clinic is committed to advocate and provide services so that people improve their visual skills and abilities with residual vision.

What do we do?

Once the patient has been identified and referred, team of rehabilitation professionals will provide therapy to patients with visual impairments to improve their functioning level in daily activities and train patients in activities like computer training, communication skills, home management skills, orientation and mobility, modifying adaptations in different environment.

Clinical Services

We aim to provide excellence in continuum of care and to restore optimal function to patients through rehabilitation. Children with Vision Impairment and Multiple Disabilities have a vision impairment and at least one other disability, which could be cognitive, developmental, and or mobility-related. Many of these children face challenges with communication, social interactions, movement, and independent living skills. These circumstances require special adaptations of environment and teaching interventions so children are able to learn about the world around them.

The healthcare services provided by our multi-specialized enhancement centre involved in vision enhancement clinic are:

Vision Stimulation Therapy Unit

Visual stimulation and developmental therapies are equipped with a well-trained Vision Rehabilitation Specialists. We treat a variety of visual impairments such as visual information perception, visual behaviours, visual acuity and eye-coordination, and eye movement (saccadic and pursuit). Vision Rehabilitation is intended to improve the quality of life of many patients with visual impairment and other brain dysfunctions.

This training process in VEC is suited to each individual, based on the extent of disability and their living needs. This training helps to enable visually impaired cope up with their present visual status, manage daily activities, maintain an active and independent lifestyle, travel safely, and meet their career objective and overall health.

VISION STIMULATION THERAPY PROVIDED FOR CHILDREN WITH:

Visual impairment
Visual processing disorder - Visual discrimination, figure ground perception, visual memory, visual motor integration,visual closure, visual spatial orientation
Learning disability / Intellectual disability

Retinopathy of prematurity / Developmental delay
Cortical Visual impairment
Autism Spectrum Disorder / Cerebral Palsy
Learning disability / Intellectual disability

Occupational Therapy Unit

Children with Visual impairment lacks visual attention, pattern recognition, visual memory, social, domestic and personal care skills, adapt to the environment using senses like tactile, olfactory, gustatory, proprioceptive and vestibular.

Occupational therapy is provided for visual perception, hand writing development, eye-hand coordination, gross and fine motor skills, and cognitive skills. Intervention focuses on Activities of daily living and Instrumental activities of daily living, education, work, leisure, play and social participation, community management, environmental modification by using adaptive aids and devices and group therapy.

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY REQUIRED FOR CHILDREN WITH:

Developmental delay
Cerebral palsy
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Autism spectrum disorder

Learning disability
Hyposensitivity / hypersensitivity
Behavioral problems
Cortical Visual impairment

FOR ADULTS WITH:

Stroke
Cerebellar lesions
Psychiatric problems
Limb apraxia and movement disorders

Speech and Language Therapy Unit

Young children with low vision, Cortical Visual impairment or visual impairment with multiple disabilities have difficulty to learn about things as they cannot recognize the visual cues, cannot read people's facial expressions and are at risk for speech and language delays. Hence we have to teach Visual impaired children as much language as early as possible.

Speech Language Pathologist does screening, assessment, diagnosis, treatment, management and counselling services for children with special needs. Language therapy is given to children to enhance their comprehension, expression and use of language for their daily living. Speech therapy is provided by facilitating the learning of speech sounds through tactile, hearing and residual vision; Oral motor exercises to help children and adults who have trouble efficiently engaging their speech and swallowing muscles by enhancing control, coordination and strength.

SPEECH AND LANAGUAGE THERAPY PROVIDED FOR CHILDERN WITH:

Visual impairment with multiple disabilities
Delay in language (Comprehension & expression)
Global developmental delay due to birth defects
Autism spectrum disorder / Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder / Down syndrome / Learning disability/Intellectual Disability
Difficulty in sound production (articulation/phonology)
Stuttering

FOR ADULTS WITH:

Cerebrovascular accident / Traumatic brain injury
Language disorder - Aphasia / Apraxia post stroke
Slurring of speech / stuttering
Difficulty in swallowing

Physiotherapy Unit

Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing quality of life and movement potential within spheres of promotion, prevention, diagnosis, intervention, habilitation and rehabilitation.

Neurodevelopmental therapy helps children and adult to restore, maintain and maximize their physical strength, function, motion and over all well-being. It is provided to improve functional abilities (rolling, sitting, quadruped, kneeling, standing and walking), equilibrium, integrate the reflex activity, improve balance and coordination, improve loco motor activity, induce range of motion and reduce muscle weakness.

PHYSIOTHERAPY DEALS WITH CONDITIONS IN CHILDREN:

Developmental delay
Cerebral palsy
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Autism spectrum disorder

Multiple disabilities with visual impairment
Neurological conditions
Spinal problems

FOR ADULTS WITH:

Stroke
Parkinsonism
Spinal cord injury
All pain related problems

Education and Career guidance

Orientation and Mobility

Orientation and Mobility (O&M) training given for people who are having complete vision loss or low vision (with hard of hearing). We teach them the necessity of mobility, general importance of white cane, and train them the techniques to use it.

Computer Skills Training

We provide comprehensive training and services tailor-made to meet each person's needs in an increasingly changing technological world. Fundamental skills such as computerized voice recognition software, screen reader programs and screen magnification with modification programs are being trained.

Kitchen Training

We help people with visual challenge to make basic cooking and meal preparation safe and easy. In this process we teach and train them in activities like use of groceries, kitchen accommodations, selection of appliances, and techniques for measuring, pouring, and cooking.

Remedial Training

For children with visual challenges and other brain related perception issues we use remedial education strategies to establish their need of daily living. We provide variety of age appropriate studying materials and interactive play way method.

Guidance on Equal Opportunity

Our goal is that persons who are blind, visually impaired or Deaf-Blind enjoy full equality of opportunity, education, complete integration in the life of our communities and appropriate employment which fulfils each individual's needs and aspirations. We also ensure them government schemes, benefits and advocate for their rights.

Success Stories

Impossible to possible!

Master L is a 2.5 years old child with Cerebral visual impairment (CVI) and Global Developmental delay, who was referred from the Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Sankara Nethralaya. On the very first day, he was brought by his mother and grandmother to the Vision Enhancement Clinic (VEC). Their poor family status also contributed to their depression level, which was observed during their first sitting at the Vision Enhancement Clinic (VEC). At the VEC, his functional vision was assessed along with other developmental areas, which were severely impaired because of encephalopathy and seizure disorder. Understanding the need for immediate early intervention along with multi-therapeutic intervention, VEC team counselled the mother for accepting the condition of the child, to undergo the recommended therapies and to provide sustained cooperation. Then the child was referred to a pediatric physiotherapist to work on his gross motor development. The child is given visual developmental therapy, sensory integration therapy, fine motor stimulation, and speech stimulation at VEC regularly, the family's cooperation and support are remarkable in terms of attendance and involvement. Initially the child did not fixate or follows any lights, no babbling or articulation and inadequate neck control at VEC, but now he is briskly fixating and following lights, started to babble, articulate sounds and 75% neck control achieved after 6 months of intensive therapies. He has been supported in availing Government benefits as well as part of the rehabilitation program. His mother says that she had never seen such a family oriented support services anywhere before coming to VEC.

Vision Aid

Sankara Nethralaya is pleased to partner with Vision-Aid, a non-profit organization committed to its mission of Enabling, Educating and Empowering the Visually Impaired to live with independence and dignity. Vision-Aid and Sankara Nethralaya have joined hands to create a state-of-the-art Vision Enhancement Center in Shenoy Nagar, Chennai and soon plan to open a similar center in Kolkata. Many resources are available for persons with incurable visual impairment conditions such as Low Vision or Blindness at these centers. Beyond resources at the centers, Vision-Aid offers several excellent training programs freely to the visually impaired. To see more details about these training programs, and to learn more about Vision-Aid please visit www.visionaid.org. Vision-Aid's free training programs can be found at https://training.visionaid.org/ The short video below provides an overview of these programs. Vision-Aid also runs a Digital Accessibility Testing and Training Center (DATTC) which offers training and job placement services for the visually impaired in the field of Digital Accessibility Testing. More information about this can be found at: https://webaccessibility.visionaid.org/

RG Manudhane Foundation

The Motivation for Excellence Initiative (MFE), registered as The RG Manudhane Foundation for Excellence, was set up as a legacy to society by the late R.G. Manudhane (1921-2012)- a quiet, self-made, "rags-to-riches" man whose life exemplified a continuous striving for values-based excellence. Motivation for Excellence is committed to the wellbeing and development of rural and tribal communities. We partner with organizations, typically NGOs that implement interventions on ground in the following areas of work:

Healthcare
Education and Training
Livelihood Enhancement
Nurturing Excellence

MFE has funded the Vision Enhancement clinic for its expansion in terms of visual developmental therapy, sensory integration, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, special education and parental training. They have also supported for Low Vision & Vision Enhancement Fellowship programs under their support.

Contact Us

Smt. T.K. Lakshmi Ammal and

Smt. T.K. Alamelu Ammal Sankara Nethralaya

New No. 39, old no. 19, 1st Main Road,
East Shenoy Nagar,
Chennai 600 030.

Team Members

Dr Rashima Asokan

Head of the Department

Ms S Dhanalakshmi

Low Vision and Vision Rehabilitation Professional

Ms S D Libiya Rani

Vision Rehabilitation Specialist

Ms R Indira

Low Vision and Vision Rehabilitation Professional

Ms W Sherly Sharon

Vision Rehabilitation Specialist

Ms D Karthiga

Low Vision and Vision Rehabilitation Professional

Ms A Dhivya

Rehabilitation Specialist

Ms L Nirmala

Occupational therapist

Ms S Kavitha Sanjeev

Physiotherapist