New Project to Assist Persons Aging with Hearing and Vision Loss 

The RRTC on Blindness and Low Vision recently received a $500,000 research
award from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research
(NIDRR) of the U.S. Department of Education for a new project entitled, "A
Disability and Rehabilitation Research Project on Persons Aging with Hearing
and Vision Loss."  

The project will entail $2.5 million over a 5-year period and is being
conducted in collaboration with the Helen Keller National Center for
Deafblind Youths and Adults in Sands Point, NY and the RRTC on Persons who
are Hard of Hearing or Late Deafened at National University in San Diego, CA.  

The goal of the project is to explore ways to improve employment and
community integration outcomes for persons who are blind or deaf and who are
experiencing a secondary onset of hearing or vision loss resulting from
aging.  

Specific areas of investigation include: evaluating accessibility and usage
of assistive technology; investigating community integration strategies;
developing strategies to improve communication systems, transportation and
job placements for those aging with vision and hearing loss; and developing
model service delivery systems for service providers, families and consumers
that improve the quality of life for those aging with vision and hearing loss. 

Link:
http://www.blind.msstate.edu/