The Leonardo Da Vinci Project: The Pilot Courses In Italy

M. Broggini , G. Sato , and F. Nastasi

Low Vision Centre - Varese
Ophthalmology Department
Circolo Hospital
Insubria University
Italy.

Purpose

In Europe more than 1 out of 100 individuals are affected by low vision in industrialized countries. In Italy we have over 700.000 low vision individuals, 80.000 blind individuals. Actually we have just a few low vision centres in Italy. Most of them only give out to the visually impaired the low vision devices without a real assessment of the needs. The university schools for ophthalmologists or orthoptist don’t teach low vision trainers. In order to assist partially sighted patients to use their residual vision, professionals who work in the field of low vision need to undertake a comprehensive programme of study. Thanks to European funding from the Leonardo da Vinci programme experts from five European nations develope a comprehensive programme for low vision practitioners.

We describe the results of the pilot courses of the project that were taken in the Low Vision Centre Varese Italy with professionals from the whole country.