NVT Systems

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• 1952 US Korean War Veteran with TBI

  On June 13 1952, I was shot through the head during Korean War combat. The bullet went through the skull behind the ears, blew off the back of the skull, damaged the occipital lobe, and left me legally blind. I lost 75% of the visual field in both eyes. After a lengthy stay in an Army hospital., I was discharged without the benefit of any rehabilitative therapy for my loss of vision.

  Fifty-five years later I discovered the Veteran's Administration Western Blind Rehabilitation Center (WBRC) in Palo Alto, California. Even though I was fifty-five years late in receiving any visual therapy, I feel this system was beneficial.

  Read More: Thisdell - US Korean War Veteran Testimonial (PDF)

• IAN

  Ian, who is 41, had been virtually housebound for several years due to his sight problems. He had a brain injury in 2003 which left him with right field difficulties. He was very anxious walking in crowds and became very disorientated when outside. He continually bumped into things and people and was worried that he would knock someone over. Consequently Ian seldom went out and his life had shrunk to going to the corner shop for provisions.

  "To be honest before life was pretty dire, I was really fed up and stayed in bed most of the day, I was almost housebound. Within a couple of weeks of starting the programme I could see the difference. One of the things I wanted to do was go to the supermarket. Moving around again outside was really scary but it has opened up a new way of life, the whole resource is just fantastic. I'm now working again, going into town, using the bus and the underground. I've started working for the Children Panel, I used to be one of those kids and I thought maybe I can help. This has made a big difference and turned my life around and my family say I'm who I was 20 years ago."

  Read More: Sealladh Evaluation Report, Visibility, Glasgow. 2009 page 24 (PDF)

• JIMMY

  For Jimmy's family, they feel that not only did Jimmy learn just how unsafe he was, but also was taught strategies to keep himself safe.

  "This project has saved my father's life, quite literally. He didn't realize he couldn't see anything to one side and would have been knocked over trying to get the bus from across the road. It is such a relief that he isn't discovering what he can and can't do on his own."

  Jimmy is 77 and his wife died six years ago. Like many of the other participants, the experience with the light box showed Jimmy just how badly his vision had been affected.

  "I didn't realize how bad I am. I thought I would be getting home and be back driving - that was such a shock. Laura gave me exercises to do at home. Succeeding at things make you want to do more."

  Almost everyday before his stroke, Jimmy would go to the local cemetery to tend his wife's grave. This required crossing the road outside his home and getting on a bus and doing the same on the return journey. Jimmy set this as his goal and recently with Laura accompanying him he ha been to the cemetery and back home.

  Read More: Sealladh Evaluation Report, Visibility, Glasgow. 2009, page 25 (PDF)

• JOHN

  John is lucky to be alive after a stroke in May 2009. he was told he may not walk again or regain the use of his arm. John's wife had noticed that when he was in hospital he wasn't completing his speech and language exercises and discovered that they were being left at the end of his bed and he couldn't see them. Both he and his family felt that nothing was being done about his vision and were very excited to discover that he was eligible for Sealladh. John felt that as Sealladh was "a forces programme", it would be reliable and of a high standard. He found the light box exercises fascinating and his mission was to do better each time.

  "I'm like a kid trying to impress, the improvements are obvious and quite quick which gives a bit of a buzz. Laura is extremely respectful and sensitive, her manner and approach are very positive and comfortable... I've enjoyed every part of the programme and get huge satisfaction from completing the tasks."

  John's family feel that he would not be as far through recovery if it hadn't been for Sealladh.

  "it has been marvelous and such a transformation. He wouldn't be where he is now if he hadn't been involved, pity we didn't find out about it sooner, it has been better than we ever imagined. The improvements are obvious and come quite quickly."

  Read More: Sealladh Evaluation Report, Visibility, Glasgow. 2009 page 27 (PDF)

• FRED

  Fred is 85 and lives with his wife. He was in the royal Navy towards the end of the Second World War. He had a stroke 4 years ago but felt he had been lucky not to have any lasting effects. He thought he was managing although he had fallen a few times and found escalators and uneven surfaces very difficult. Using the light box, Fred was astonished to discover that he was missing the extremes of his vision.

  Fred worked hard on the scanning technique but has found it difficult because of a previous neck injury. However for Fred, there have been several gains. He now goes out walking again. He had given up because he had lost his confidence especially crossing roads. He had also given up reading the paper as it had become a jumble. The paper and pen exercises helped him with reading and the addition of new glasses allows him to read the paper again.

  "the thing is I like a wee bet and the print is so tiny, I couldn't work out the form, now I can - though I'm not winning any more money"

  Read More: Sealladh Evaluation Report, Visibility, Glasgow. 2009, page 22 (PDF)

• Scott S Johnson - Palo Alto, California

  My last five years with the Department of Veterans Affairs Hospital of the Palo Alto, California Health Care System was focused on planning, establishing and coordinating the Comprehensive Neurological Vision Rehabilitation (CNVR) section of the Western Blind Rehabilitation Center. To my knowledge there is no other patient evaluation and therapy system approaching the effectiveness of this NVT System.

  The NVT system organizes multidisciplinary information, provides neuro visual assessment, provides a systematic means to determine specifically individualized therapy treatment, collects data, and prints reports. The system is an excellent means of helping patient/clients and their involved family to understand their visual functioning capabilities and limitations, and to attain their maximal, safe visual functioning potential.

  Read more: Scott S Johnson Testimonial (PDF)

• Visibility - Glasgow, Scotland

  Visibility has been working with blind and partially sighted people for 150 years and provides a range of services and opportunities for people who have experienced sight loss. Visibility is the new name for Glasgow & West of Scotland Society for the Blind.

  Visibility applied to the Scottish National Institution for the War Blinded (now Scottish War Blinded, SWB) to fund a two year rehabilitation project to evaluate vision rehabilitation for patients with visual field loss and/or neglect following traumatic brain injury and stroke. The project was called Sealladh which is Scottish Gaelic for 'sight'.

  Read more: Visibility Testimonial (PDF)

• Royal Society for the Blind, Adelaide, South Australia

  As a leading blindess agency we want to continually be at the front of vision related rehabilitation processes and solutions. The NVT System has enabled our OT and O & M staff to up-skill in assessing and training patients with Neurological Vision Impairment, and provide a standardized service which is otherwise not available.

  Evidence from staff indicates that the NVT System and other assessments assist in demonstrating to the client and the family the exact nature of the visual deficit. It is very common for people with neurological field loss to believe they have one "bad eye" and one "good eye" rather than a severe field deficit in both eyes. This belief often leads to inadequate and unsafe compensatory strategies.

  Additionally, staff are reporting reduced time required for the Orientation and Mobility programs. Scanning skills are established in a safe environment and clients are therefore able to apply them immediately the work in the outdoor environment begins, increasing safety and confidence. Family members, due to their clearer understanding of the deficit, are able to reinforce strategies more effectively.

  Andrew Daly, CEO, RSB, Adelaide.

• Fife Society for the Blind, Kirkcaldy, Scotland

  With support from NHS Fife and the MCN on Stroke, Fife is the first authority outside of Australia to train staff in the use of the NVT Scanning Device for the assessment and rehabilitation of patients with a neurological vision impairment. Three staff from Fife Society for the Blind's Insight Team have been trained and referrals are being received via phone or referral forms.

  The NVT Scanning Device (NVTSD) is an assessment tool for determining the presence of Homonymous Hemianopia, visual field deficits and visuo-spatial neglect. NVTSD has a software programme of compensatory scanning exercises that will enhance the client's functional use of residual vision, by improving scanning into the deficit field, providing exercises to promote visual memory, spatial reasoning and improving saccadic and pursuit movements.

  The NVT System has enabled us to perform standardised assessment and rehabilitation programs for our patients which are all showing progress and improvement in rehabilitating their Neuro Vision Deficit.

  Karen, OT, Fife Society for the Blind
  Alan Suttie, FCMI, CEO, Fife Society for the Blind.

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