title: Low vision assistive technology device usage and importance in daily occupations.
abstract: When selected, accepted and used appropriately, low vision assistive technology devices (ATDs) have the potential to facilitate the performance of occupations that lead to positive outcomes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This paper identiﬁes some low vision ATDs currently used and explores their relative importance for the performance of daily occupation from participants' perspectives.
  
  
  METHODS
  17 adults (M=56 years old, SD=15.8) with low vision we0re recruited through a purposeful sampling strategy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Through one-on-one semi-structured telephone interviews, ATD usage data, ranking of perceived importance of ATDs and verbal data were collected from the participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 124 devices were identiﬁed by the participants of which 104 (83.9%) were used and 20 (16.1%), mostly adaptive computer technologies, were not. 22 (21%) mainstream aids to daily living were identiﬁed (large monitor, large screen TV, DVD player) and they ranked high in terms of perceived importance by the participants for daily activities. Verbal feedback from participants supplemented this ﬁnding.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Concepts related to usage and ranking of importance of ATDs for daily occupations are multi-faceted and complex(e.g. combination of devices used, multiple equal rankings, etc.). The authors suggested future research opportunities to examine these concepts through qualitative means.
authors.affiliation: Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Program (Occupational Science), Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada. dan.fok@gmail.com
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fok
authors.forename: Janice Miller
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Polgar
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Jeffrey W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Jutai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009790:Occupations; D012656:Self-Help Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019987:Persons with Visual Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*