April 2018

Greenlane ups low
vision services
The low vision (LV) clinic at Greenlane
Clinical Centre has recently welcomed
two new optometrists to its team. Deepa
Kumar and Deborah Chan, have joined Sandy
Grant, LV clinic coordinator and therapist, to
provide a multi-disciplinary low vision service
to patients referred by eye health specialists,
general practitioners, the Blind Foundation and
other ADHB departments.
The most common referrals are for patients
with macular degeneration (MD) and
glaucoma, although the clinic will accept
anyone with functional vision issues, said
Grant.
Patients seen at early stages of MD often
identify reading, handwriting and glare issues
as their main difficulties, while patients with
glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa, hemianopias
or monocular vision may experience mobility
and reading issues. Other visual concerns
highlighted in the assessment are also
addressed through LV strategies such as
eccentric viewing, low vision aids, both optical
and non-optical (eg. magnifiers, task lamps,
signature guides), basic training with aids or
sighted-guide, information, peer support or
referrals, such as Blind Foundation membership.
Early intervention often alleviates many
patients and helps the patient develop coping
mechanisms, said Grant.
The low vision clinic runs Tuesday and
Thursday afternoons and on average about
four patients per clinic are seen. Wednesday
afternoons is a therapist-only clinic, though
Grant said she hopes to add another fullservice
clinic in the near future.
Patients referred to the clinic are interviewed
first by Grant and then the optometrist,
who refracts the patient and determines
magnification requirements. Follow-up
appointments are often required, or patients
can self-refer back should they feel their vision
has deteriorated.
Originally from Canada, and trained in
rehabilitation teaching, orientation and
Greenlane low vision optometrists Sandy Grant and Deepa Kumar
mobility, Grant came to New Zealand in 1992
to work for the Blind Foundation. “As the clinic
coordinator, I love the interaction with patients
and in playing my part on the LV team.
“It’s rewarding work, encouraging and
demonstrating what is possible to patients
through a variety of strategies, low vision
aids, appropriate support, referrals to enable
the patient to approach their low vision with
added confidence, motivation and a boost in
self-esteem.”
Grant said she’s excited about the recent
expansion of the clinic and is looking forward
to providing more patients with a range of
services to start them on their journey to living
successfully with low vision.
The LV clinic at Greenlane also recently made
a sizeable donation of older model (and never
used) magnifiers to volunteer ophthalmic
services overseas (VOSO) for their trip to the
Pacific Islands in an effort to support LV work
on this history-making VOSO trip. We wish
Naomi Meltzer and the rest of the VOSO team
all the very best for this new chapter in VOSO’s
evolution, said Grant. ▀
If you would like to a refer a patient to the low
vision service at Greenlane Clinical Centre,
referral forms can be found on the Healthpoint
website or email sandy@adhb.govt.nz. For
questions, call 09 3074949 extn 27641.
Calling mentors
The School of Optometry and Vision Science
(SOVS) at the University of Auckland needs more
externship mentors for their final year BOptom
students.
During their last year of study, each New Zealand
BOptom student undertakes a three-week externship
in a community-based optometry practice. Through
these externships, students gain further experience in
the direct examination and management of patients
away from the confines of the university clinics, says
Dr Geraint Phillips, SOVS senior lecturer and clinic
director. “Feedback from the profession shows many
optometrist mentors enjoy the exchange of ideas and
information with the next generation of optometrists.”
The externship period can be broken up so that the
student attends more than one practice, for example,
when a practice is keen on taking part, but cannot
host the student for the full three weeks. Optometrist
mentors supervise the student during their externship,
which includes being available to check the clinical
findings for every patient the student examines. Mentors
also complete an evaluation at the end of the student’s
externship; a format is provided with pre-set questions.
Optometrist mentors are invited to become
New vision-tech hub
Australian low vision service provider, Vision
Australia, has opened a new interactive
site so people who are visually-impaired
can experience the abundance of new technology
available to help them today.
Located in Vision Australia’s new Parramatta centre
in Western Sydney, the new Vision Store and Tech Hub
showcases the latest specialist adaptive technology and
how more mainstream devices can be optimised and
used to support people who are blind or have low vision.
“Whether it’s living independently, being active in their
community, finding employment or staying connected
with family and friends, technology is often the key to
unlocking opportunities for people who are blind or
have low vision,” said Ron Hooton, Vision Australia’s CEO.
“Individuals have different circumstances and goals and
what we have at Parramatta is a location where anybody
who is blind or has low vision can come and be exposed
to a huge range of technology that can support them
Honorary
Teaching
Fellows with
the University
of Auckland,
a position SOVS: Calling more optometry mentors
which offers full access to the extensive resources the
Auckland University library offers, including all of its
electronic resources (encompassing many excellent
journals); use of the title “Honorary Teaching Fellow
affiliated with the School of Optometry & Vision
Science at the University of Auckland”; preferential
and cost-reduced access to continuing professional
development events within SOVS; use of the following
phrase on practice websites and similar: “Our practice
provides teaching services for the University of
Auckland’s School of Optometry & Vision Science for
their Bachelor of Optometry degree”.
The School of Optometry & Vision Science is keen to
welcome new and returning mentors for externships
in June and July 2018. If you are interested in becoming
a new or returning externship mentor, please contact
Gini Parslow, practicum placement co-ordinator at
v.parslow@auckland.ac.nz or phone 027 406 8543. ▀
and get expert advice about what is likely to best suit
their needs.”
Technology advice is provided by Vision Australia
staff plus representatives from tech organisation
partners, including Samsung, Apple and Google,
and specialist adaptive technology providers such as
IrisVision and OrCam.
Other highlights of the new space include
demonstration home environments, including an
accessible kitchen and cooking aids (both low and
high-tech solutions); a living room with TV/voice
integration home devices; workplace/home study
tools; Google Home to control lighting and provide
audio cooking instructions; and other tools such as
Samsung’s voice-controlled screen magnification tech.
“Accessibility is a key consideration for people who
are blind or have low vision and we’ve taken that into
account with the design, layout and other features in
the space,” Mr Hooton said. ▀
We’re bringing more
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April 2018
NEW ZEALAND OPTICS
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