The Academy’s Initiative in Vision Rehabilitation

The Academy urges you to help your patients make the most of their remaining vision with SmartSight™ , an initiative to assist your patients who have visual acuities 20/40 or scotomas, field loss or contrast loss.

Helping these patients can be as simple as handing them the important materials listed here. SmartSight™ materials are available for both you and your patients.

Materials for Patients

This handout (PDF 55K) is for you to give to patients. It provides essential tips for making the most of remaining vision and offers a list of resources, including VisionConnection (800-829-0500) where they can locate local services using the "Help Near You" directory (if you do not have services or a referral system in place). 

Materials for Ophthalmologists

• SmartSight™ Levels 1 & 2 (PDF 46K). Level 1 calls on all ophthalmologists to recognize patients with low vision and share a copy of the SmartSight™ patient materials. Please instruct and encourage patients to read and act on it. Level 2 encourages all general ophthalmologists to add a few easy steps when examining SmartSight™ patients. These steps are the four “R’s of Rehabilitation”: Record – Refract – Rx – Report.
• SmartSight™ Level 3 (PDF 57K) provides more extensive vision rehabilitation services and references for ophthalmologists.
• Ophthalmologists can also use this sample letter (Word 21K) to make PCPs aware of a patient’s vision loss and the possibility of Charles Bonnet Syndrome.

If you have questions about the vision rehabilitation or the SmartSight™ program, contact the Academy via e-mail.

American Foundation for the Blind

The AFB Senior Site contains information about living with vision loss, including home adaptations, products, and connections to local services.