Natalina Martiniello

Université de Montréal | UdeM · School of Optometry

Gainful employment is the key to financial independence and remains the primary objective for many adults who pursue vision rehabilitation services (Ponchillia and Ponchillia, 1996). It enables adults with visual impairments (that is, those who are blind or who have low vision) to live independently, make their own choices, pursue meaningful intere...

Purpose We explored the experiences of working-age and older adults with acquired vision impairment who pursued braille rehabilitation training, and the facilitators and barriers they encountered throughout this process. Methods Semi-structured interviews of up to 90 min in length were conducted with 14 participants from across Canada who learned...

Purpose As the prevalence of age-related visual impairment increases, a greater understanding of the physiological and cognitive capacities that are recruited during braille reading and the potential implications of age-related declines is required. Methods This scoping review aimed to identify and describe primary studies exploring the relation...

Smartphones and tablets incorporate built-in accessibility features, but little is known about their impact within the visually impaired population. This study explored the use of smartphones and tablets, the degree to which they replace traditional visual aids, and factors influencing these decisions. Data were collected through an anonymous onlin...

Tactile, motor and cognitive capacities decline with age, but little is known about how this relates to braille reading outcomes. This study investigated correlates of braille reading speed among working-age and older adults. Texts were read in two modes (oral/silent) and two media (paper/electronic braille display) by 46 blind adults (age range 23...

Scientific conferences and meetings are an integral part of careers in research, medicine, education, and many other professional arenas. Such meetings allow professionals and researchers to share their findings, support expansion of professional networks, enhance professional development, and foster new collaborations. However, barriers throughout...

Technologies based on universal design foster greater inclusion and proactively embed accessibility for all learners. Today, the digital workflow of students with visual impairments incorporates universally accessible tools used alone or alongside specialized assistive technologies. At the same time, opportunities remain to address persisting gaps...

Orientation and Mobility (O&M) training, including guide dog services, is crucial for individuals with low vision and blindness to attain independent travel. While teleassistance has proven effective for navigation and communication, telerehabilitation in O&M remains unexplored. Objective: To assess guide dog users' perspectives on the feasibility...

People with visual impairments (those who are blind or who have low vision) continue to experience an unemployment rate of 70% or higher across all sectors but remain especially under-represented within higher education and the research ecosystem. Among the barriers emphasized by people with visual impairments are those related to accessibility and...

Background: Mainstream smartphone applications are increasingly replacing the use of traditional visual aids (such as hand-held telescopes) to facilitate independent travel for individuals who are blind or who have low vision. Objective: The goal of this study was to explore the navigation-based apps used by individuals who are blind or low visio...

In this chapter we explore a variety of topics related to emerging technologies in the post-secondary education of students with all types of disabilities. Much has changed in the past decade. This includes: (1) the impact and evolution of the increasing accessibility of general use technologies, comprising built-in accessibility features and acces...

For blind individuals, tactile maps are useful tools to form cognitive maps through touch. However, they still experience challenges in cognitive map formation and independent navigation. Three-dimensional (3D) tactile information is thus increasingly being considered to convey enriched spatial information, but it remains unclear if it can facilita...

https://www.oib-tac.org/events/2023/01/introducing-braille

https://crir.ca/en/sharing-our-knowledge/events/activite-plein-feu-vieillissement-braille-et-readaptation-17-octobre-2022

Background: Although a critical safety measure, preliminary studies have suggested that the use of a face mask may pose a problem for some users with disabilities. To date, little is known about how the wearing of a traditional face mask may pose a barrier to individuals with visual impairments who draw on auditory cues and echolocation techniques...

BACKGROUND Although a critical safety measure, preliminary studies have suggested that the use of a face mask may pose a problem for some users with disabilities. To date, little is known about how the wearing of a traditional face mask may pose a barrier to individuals with visual impairments who draw on auditory cues and echolocation techniques d...

In this chapter we explore a variety of topics related to emerging technologies in the post-secondary education of students with all types of disabilities. Much has changed in the past decade. This includes: (1) the impact and evolution of the increasing accessibility of general use technologies, comprising built-in accessibility features and acces...

Introduction: As the prevalence of age-related sensory impairment increases, more evidence emerges on the association between uni-sensory and cognitive impairment (CI) in older adults. However, the link between CI and concurrent hearing and vision impairment (referred to as dual sensory impairment/DSI) is not well-understood, and this combined effe...

This study focusses on the co-creation of a ‘relaxed performance’ in a performing arts center in Canada, through an approach that provides strategies for an inclusive theater environment, with stakeholder participation both during the research and from within the theatre itself. The research study is guided by a participatory action research approa...

This health-design research project focusses on the creation of an inclusive 'relaxed performance' in a performing arts centre in Canada and understanding how transforming the environment supports all persons participating, both performers and audience alike. This multi-sectoral project examines the challenges faced by people living with a disabili...

Objective: In this study, we investigate the potential of 3D printed tactile maps to assist blind individuals in generating a cognitive map of their environment. The aim of the study is to determine if 3D printing can have a real advantage over traditional methods to promote its implementation in rehabilitation services and to improve navigation fo...

Tactile sensitivity is known to decline with age. Braille provides a vital method of reading and writing for working-age and older adults with acquired visual impairment. The proliferation of low-cost braille displays raises new possibilities for adult braille learners, with dots of greater height than standard paper braille, potentially benefittin...

This research project presents the activities of a ‘relaxed performance’ in the Segal Centre for the Performing Arts, situated in Montreal, Canada, to understand how transforming the environment supports both performers and audiences alike. It proceeds with four phases, embracing a participatory approach. A particularly innovative aspect of this pr...

Inclusive ‘relaxed performances’ are leisure activities where people can participate, within a theatre environment, often with the use of assistive technologies, adapted texts and scripts that support interaction and social inclusion. This paper presents a participatory collaborative research project that examines the challenges faced by people liv...

The current study reports the results of open-ended questions from a follow-up survey of adults with sensory loss and their spouses who had previously taken part in an online study. In total, 111 participants completed the survey (72 adults with a sensory loss and 39 spouses). Open-ended questions asked about the overall experience of living with s...

AI-based apps can facilitate learning for all post-secondary students and may also be useful for students with disabilities. Here we share some reflections from discussions that took place during two advisory board meetings on the use of such apps for students with disabilities at the post-secondary level.

The prevalence of older adults with acquired vision loss is expected to double by 2050 as life expectancy continues to increase, and reading difficulties remain the most common reason for referral to vision rehabilitation services. Refreshable braille technologies provide expanded access to information in braille, and may be beneficial to older adu...

http://www.sigaccess.org/newsletter/2019-01/martiniello.html

A convenience sample (n = 35) of Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVIs) and Rehabilitation Specialists completed a survey about their instructional techniques and perspectives on the relationship between braille and technology. While 62.5% of TVIs and Rehabilitation Specialists working with children, adolescents, or adults use technolo...

The purpose of this investigation was to explore predictors and correlates of grades and intention to graduate among junior/community college and university students with visual impairments in Canada, and to compare students with low vision to students who are blind on variables related to academic success. In all, 66 junior/community college and u...