As the prevalence of age-related vision loss continues to increase, rehabilitation specialists encounter a growing number of working-age and older adults who experience reading related difficulties. In the United States alone, the prevalence of age-related vision loss is expected to double by 2050, placing increasing burdens on healthcare and rehabilitation systems. Previous research on braille learning in the past has focused primarily on the needs of blind children who acquire braille as a literacy medium. Far less is known about the unique experience of braille learning in adulthood following acquired vision loss, or about the impact of aging and other factors on this process.

The primary goal of this multiphase research is to add to the limited body of knowledge about braille learning and usage among working-age and older adults. Collectively, these studies explore the influence of age-related physiological and cognitive factors on braille reading performance, as well as the enablers and obstacles encountered by working-age and older adults who pursue braille rehabilitation training. The findings shed much-needed light on the experience of learning and using braille in adulthood and will contribute to the development of evidence-based practices that better meet the unique needs of a rapidly aging population.

Natalina Martiniello MSc CVRT: Wittich Vision Impairment Research Laboratory, École d'optométrie, Université de Montréal, Canada; CRIR/Centre de réadaptation Lethbridge-Layton-Mackay du CIUSSS Centre-Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Canada

Walter Wittich PhD CVLT FAAO: École d'optométrie, Université de Montréal, Canada; CRIR/Centre de réadaptation Lethbridge-Layton-Mackay du CIUSSS Centre-Ouest-de-l'Île-de-Montréal, Canada; CRIR/Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille du CISSS de la Montérégie-Centre, Montréal, Canada