Reading performance in patients with severe vision impairment after providing near visual aids

Abstract

This study aims to compare reading performance based on reading speed and print size in patients with severe visual impairment before and after providing near visual aids. The study included 100 patients with severe vision impairment. Examinations were performed for both distant and near vision. Training for reading with letter magnification was conducted over six months. Evaluation of letter magnification, visual acuity, and reading speed was performed at 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months. Comparison between baseline letter magnification and periods with training showed that training had no improvement in letter magnification up to one month; however, improvements were observed by the 3rd and 6th months of training. The readable letter size became smaller with increased training duration. Visual acuity significantly improved during the first month of training (p = 0.045). The longer the treatment period, the greater the improvement in visual acuity (p = 0.016 and 0.014 at 3 and 6 months, respectively). Reading speed improved within 2 weeks of training, increasing from a baseline of 62.58 ± 9.95 words per minute (wpm) to 71.58 ± 9.84, 88.67 ± 8.95, 94.72 ± 9.05, and 98.49 ± 9.12 wpm at 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months, respectively, with statistically significant differences (p = 0.038, 0.003, 0.001, and 0.001). These findings emphasize the importance of sustained low vision rehabilitation and training with magnifying aids to improve reading speed and performance in patients with severe visual impairment. The study demonstrated a significant improvement in reading speed and visual acuity through training in severely low vision patients who used optimal magnifying aids for an extended period. The effects remained stable after the completion of the training program, indicating that such interventions can enhance their quality of life.