Impact of night vision aid on orientation and mobility and daily activities

One of the major characteristics of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is night blindness, causing several problems in orientation and mobility. This study had the objectives to evaluate the impact of a Night Vision Aid (NVA) on night travel and to determine other uses in daily activities. A qualitative research method was used in this transversal study and consisted in structured interviews (open-ended and closed questionnaire) conducted with six adults, all having RP, three being deaf-blind from Usher Syndrome. Two generation III monocular NVA models had been used by the participants since at least 6 months. Participants' responses were recorded, transcribed and coded according to emerging themes from which general tendencies were derived. One of the most important impact was on security aspect, as all six participants reported no incidents, such as bumping into obstacles, when using the NVA. Also, the NVA seemed to provide access to more varied environments and to increase frequency of night travel for some participants. Participants further reported many uses in daily activities (leisure, parental responsibilities, etc.) and, for all deaf-blind persons, the NVA was reported as a helpful tool for communication (seeing sign language under poor lighting conditions).