The visual advice centre Eindhoven, an experiment in Dutch low vision care

The Visual Advice Centre Eindhoven (VAC-E) provides the partially sighted with advice and prescriptions for low vision aids and illumination on the basis of an examination of their individual needs and their residual visual abilities. In the Dutch context of low vision care the V AC-E can be regarded as an experiment aiming at developing a method for optimal technical low vision care. Important characteristics of the V AC-E working model are: the interdisciplinary approach , the referral of patients by ophthalmologists only, the extensive assessment of the patients visual possibilities and demands for help, the trial period with loaned aids at home, the guidance of an occupational therapist and a social worker, the evaluation of the advice and prescriptions given over a longer period. In this paper an outline of the VAC-E model is given.