Vision and Driving

Course Description

Driving is a complex instrumental activity of daily living (IADL) that is essential for independence, community mobility, and participation in meaningful life roles. Vision plays a foundational role in driving safety, influencing key skills such as hazard detection, depth perception, lane positioning, reaction time, and navigation. This professional development activity is occupation-based in that it directly supports occupational therapy practitioners in evaluating and addressing the visual and perceptual factors that impact a client’s ability to drive safely or return to driving after illness, injury, or age-related decline. By focusing on the functional use of vision within the context of the driving task, the course aligns with the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework (OTPF-4) domains of "occupations," "client factors," and "performance skills." Through evidence-based strategies, screening tools, and real-world case applications, participants will learn to:

  • Identify visual impairments that may compromise safe driving.
  • Integrate clinical screening into occupational therapy evaluations.
  • Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to develop client-centered interventions, compensatory strategies, and referral plans.

Ultimately, this activity supports the occupational therapy profession’s scope of practice by promoting client health, autonomy, and participation through the safe engagement in a high-stakes, real-world occupation: driving.

Learning Objectives

By module end, participants will be able to:

Module 1: 

  • Identify the importance of vision to occupational performance, with a particular focus on instrumental  activities of daily living.
  • Define terminology related to vision and driving.
  • Recall the Department of Motor Vehicles standards for visual functions for driving.
  • Summarize the impact of substance use, both controlled and uncontrolled, on the visual system and driving.
  • Explain when a client should be referred for assessment and intervention by ophthalmology or other eyecare  professionals.

Module 2: 

  • Understand the clinical reasoning process for identifying when visual interventions are appropriate.
  • Apply compensatory strategies for clients with visual deficits in the context of driving.
  • Collaborate with family members to establish safe driving plans.
  • Recognize legal and ethical responsibilities when assessing fitness to drive.
  • Describe referral pathways for specialized driver rehabilitation services.
  • Develop client-centered education materials addressing vision and safe driving.

Module 3: 

  • Name specific visual functions which should be included in a pre-driving assessment.
  • List assessment procedures to screen for high contrast visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, color discrimination, visual fields, oculomotor control, and other areas.
  • State how to interpret and apply results of visual function assessments/screens to driving performance.

Module 4: 

  • Define low vision and recall its impact on everyday activities and driving safety.
  • Identify the components and functions of bioptic telescope systems.
  • Differentiate between types of bioptic telescopes based on design and functionality.
  • List the benefits of bioptic telescope systems for drivers with low vision.
  • Define key visual terms such as visual acuity, visual fields, and contrast sensitivity.
  • Match visual impairments with their impact on driving abilities.
  • Recall how to interpret clinical reports on vision.
  • Describe the history and legislation related to bioptic driving.
  • List self-regulating behaviors adopted by low-vision drivers to enhance safety.
  • Analyze case studies to assess the suitability of candidates for bioptic driving.

 

Tuition

Self Paced Online Course
$99
Enroll Now

Clicking our "Enroll Now" links will take you to a page for payment.

After payment, you will be emailed further directions for setting up your student account on our training site and beginning the course.

If you have any questions prior to enrolling, please email our Director of Training: Cara Harman OTD, OTR/L

Preview Course Content

If you have any questions prior to enrolling, please email our Director of Training: Cara Harman OTD, OTR/L

Frequently Asked Questions

Agenda? Training dates and times vary; Online modules are available at the participants own leisure

Total Number of Contact Hours? Five (5.) hours of direct OT/PT related clinical education and patient care training

Level and Audience? Introductory or intermediate level occupational and physical therapists (Including OT/PT students, professors, and practitioners with any level of experience in the field)

Payment Due Dates and Mode of Payment?

For all training methods offered: Payment is due upon initial signup and before attending the class. Credit cards, checks and cash are accepted for in person classes

Cancellation/Refund Policy? 

Participants may request a full refund at any time prior to the class. HOWEVER, once the class has started, regardless of the method, no refund shall be offered.  If a participant has an emergency or desires to start where they left off in any class, their tuition shall be good for up to one year from the start date.

For the self paced modules, can I exit out and pick up where I left off?

Yes– you will not lose credit for the completed sections OR the time you have spent on the modules when you exit out. While we do recommend finishing each module in one sitting, if you must stop in the middle of a module, please write down the slide number you will pick up on. This is important as the specific slide you end on will not be displayed when re-opening the webpage.

Completion Requirements? 

Satisfactory completion requirements will include attendance in its entirety, successful completion of a learning outcome assessment, and post-evaluation. Only learners who meet satisfactory completion requirements will earn AOTA CEUs.

Do I have to pass an exam to get credit?

Yes– You must score >70% to receive credit for completion of the course. You will have 2 attempts to pass the exam. If you do not pass after the second attempt, then you must retake all modules before re-testing is permitted.

Presenters

Beth Barstow, PhD, OTR/L, SCLV, FAOTA
Professor; Program Director: Graduate Certificate in Low Vision Rehabilitation
CODE-CCDE Research and Development Low Vision and Trainer

Beth Barstow PhD, OTR/L, SCLV, FAOTA is a professor and program director of the Low Vision Graduate Certificate in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has over twenty years of clinical experience in the practice areas of low vision, adult and older adult rehabilitation and driving. She was a CDRS. In her current role, she teaches, completes service activities, and conducts research to advance the practice of vision rehabilitation with an emphasis on global environmental and societal barriers. She is the co-editor of the textbook Occupational Therapy Interventions for Adults with Low Vision. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed papers and has presented on vision and disability locally, nationally, and internationally. Beth has extensive experience developing and reviewing for various certification boards. She assisted the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) with development and redevelopment of the Specialty Certification in Low Vision (SCLV). She served on the AOTA Board for Specialty Certification where she reviewed applications for the SCLV and mentored practitioners. Currently, she is the co-chair of the Subject Matter Expert Committee for the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP) dedicated to developing an occupational therapy certification in visual impairment and blindness.

Jason E. Vice, PhD, OTR/L, SCLV
UAB | The University of Alabama at Birmingham
Department of Occupational Therapy; Assistant Professor
CODE-CCDE Research and Development Low Vision and Trainer

Jason Vice is an occupational therapist who specializes in working with individuals with low vision from eye disease, trauma, and brain injury. His practice is based at the multidisciplinary UAB Center for Low Vision Rehabilitation, an outpatient clinic which focuses on helping people with vision impairment to participate in meaningful everyday activities, such as safe driving, through the use of specialized techniques, adaptive equipment, and assistive technology.

**Statement on Nondiscrimination and Special Accommodations**

Barber’s Driving School is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination. We do not discriminate against candidates on the basis of age, gender, race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or marital status. In adherence to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Barber’s Driving School will ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal access to take the course and the two examinations. Special testing accommodations can be arranged if a request is submitted to the certification team prior to the examination.

Financial and Non-Financial Disclosure Statements

The presenters have and may continue to be from time to time, a paid consultant to Barber’s Driving School on matters related to Occupational Therapy and associated training for driver  evaluation. The course materials are property of Barber’s Driving School, Inc. The presenter is compensated by Barber’s Driving School, Inc. to develop the training programs. The presenter is also compensated by Barber’s Driving School, Inc. when students take this course in a recorded or live format. The presenter developed the training program using the latest research and up-to-date practice standards without consideration to the above-mentioned financial interest in the training program.

For special requests or accommodations please contact caraharman@gmail.com

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