Broadening the Vision: The Education and Training Needs of Occupational Therapists Working with People with Sight Loss

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the continuing professional development needs of occupational therapists in the area of sight loss and to identify the ways in which these needs could be met through pre-registration and post-registration education. A two-stage survey was carried out: an online survey was used to explore the education experience of occupational therapists who were members of two of the College of Occupational Therapists Specialist Sections – Older People and Housing, and a telephone survey was used to gather information from higher education institutions involved in the pre-registration education of occupational therapists regarding the current content of the curriculum relating to sight loss. The results of the study revealed low confidence levels among therapists in assessing and giving advice to people with sight loss, along with a varied approach to the inclusion of sight loss in pre-registration occupational therapy curricula. A need for the development of appropriate education and training for working with people with sight loss was identified for occupational therapists at both pre-registration and post-registration stages, in order to enable the profession to seize the opportunity for prioritising this area of emerging practice and to make a more significant contribution to improving outcomes for people with sight loss.