Applying low vision strategies to home and mobility assessments (January, 2026)

Online

January 22 to 28, 2026 (on your own)
January 29 & 30, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)

What time is this for me?

Over 2 million Canadians lived with a vision disability in 2022 ( Statistics Canada, 2025), rising to 4 million by 2045 ( Fighting Blindness Canada, 2020). Of these, over 85% are living with two or more other disabilities that are often the primary reason for seeking healthcare services ( McGrath et al., 2025). Given the rise in the number of people with vision loss in Canada, Foster et al. (2024) highlighted the need for a comprehensive framework of practice-relevant competencies so that occupational therapists have the necessary skills and knowledge to work with this population.

This online workshop is intended to improve the occupational therapist’s skill in completing home and mobility assessments for clients with visual impairment by recognizing and addressing the basic barriers to safe and independent living in the community for this population. Participants will improve their knowledge related to the application of specific vision concepts, such as colour and contrast sensitivity, visual acuity, and lighting, as part of a comprehensive home assessment. This will enable the occupational therapist to complete better home assessments, improve occupational participation for those with vision loss, and recognize when there is a need for referrals to specialists in low vision therapy.  Understanding that many clients may have concurrent conditions affecting gait, common barriers and potential solutions to the safe and effective use of mobility aids for those with vision loss will be discussed. Small and large group discussions will be utilized throughout the workshop to support participant confidence in applying the tools and strategies discussed to their own practice.

Preliminary workshop agenda

January 22 to 28, 2026 (on your own)

Thursday, January 29, 2026

Friday, January 30, 2026

Learning objectives

By the end of this workshop, participants will:

1) Improve their knowledge of vision loss. 
2) Apply basic principles of visual accessibility to home assessments. 
3) Recognize potential visual barriers to safety and independence in the home. 
4) Be able to modify a task or the home environment to facilitate the occupational participation of clients living with vision loss. 
5) Understand mobility issues, falls risk, and the barriers to using mobility aids effectively in the presence of vision loss. 
6) Improve current practice as it relates to the use and prescription of mobility aids.

Target audience

Occupational therapist clinicians who wish to improve their home assessment skills and their confidence in applying effective strategies to support clients with vision loss in their home. This content would be helpful both for occupational therapists in hospital or rehabilitation centre settings to support effective discharge planning or those working in community settings.

Please note: Each participant is responsible to ensure they apply the information within the context of their licensure, provincial/territorial legislations, institution regulations, scope of practice, etc.

Areas of practice
Generalist, Home Assessment & Modification, Independent Living & Housing, Older Adults, Vision

Client age group
Adolescents (13-19 years old), Adults (20-64 years old), Older Adults (65+ years old)

Workshop level
Intermediate (3-5 years of experience in this specific practice area)

Please note: Participants with more than this stated level of experience are welcome to attend the workshop. The workshop content will be geared towards those with 0-2 years of experience.

Presenter

Teresa Guolla, OT Reg. (Ont.)

Teresa Guolla has practised occupational therapy for 35 years. She has over 20 years of experience in the field of acquired brain injuries. In the last seven years, she has gained expertise in the field of vision rehabilitation and developed programs for those with vision loss (strokes & falls prevention). She has worked with multiple organizations to improve the visual accessibility of their client service. She has presented across Canada on the topics of vision rehabilitation following strokes and visual accessibility. She has been honoured to work on two national-level committees related to visual impairment; the Canadian Best Practices for Stroke Management and the accreditation of OTs as certified vision rehabilitation specialists.

Registration fees

Registration deadline: January 29 , 2026 at 9:59 a.m. (Eastern Time)

Please note that CAOT does not offer group registration fees.

*It may be more cost effective to become a CAOT Member or Associate rather than pay the non-member rate. See “Can a non-member register for a Workshop?” in our Professional Development FAQs to know which membership category you are eligible for.   

Registration fee includes:

1. Access to the online workshop platform
2. Access to the workshop recording for 14 days following the live session
3. An electronic copy of the presentation slide handouts
4. Opportunities to network with other occupational therapists with an interest in this topic
5. An electronic certificate of attendance

Cancellation/refund policy

All cancellation/refund requests must be sent in writing to  education@caot.ca. All cancellation requests received by January 7, 2026 will be given a full refund minus a $50.00 administrative fee. No refunds will be given after January 7, 2026 . Substitutions and transfers requests received by January 7, 2026 are permitted and are subject to a $50.00 administrative fee.

If you are exceptionally unable to complete the workshop, please reach out to  education@caot.ca by 25 days following the end of the workshop for extended access to the recording (up to one month after the end of the workshop) or a one-time transfer to another offering of the  same workshop if currently open for registration. 

CAOT reserves the right to modify the workshop title, description, registration dates and information on the workshop webpage. CAOT will notify participants on or before December 5, 2025 if there is insufficient registration by that date and reserves the right to cancel a Workshop due to insufficient registration up until December 19, 2025. CAOT reserves the right to modify the offering, interrupt Workshops, change the timing of a Workshop, cancel a Workshop or change the technology for the Workshop due to the presenter no longer being able to present the Workshop, severe weather, power failure, building closures or other special circumstances that are beyond the control of CAOT by notifying participants as soon as possible. If the Workshop is cancelled by CAOT, registrants will receive a full refund of the registration fee. CAOT will not be responsible for other costs or expenses incurred by registrants as a result of any such changes.

  Professional Development FAQs

 

Provide suggestions for Professional Development

The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) is committed to accessibility as expressed in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). We provide an electronic copy of the handouts approximately one week ahead of time in
multiple slide layouts, auto-generated closed captioning through Zoom (excluding breakout rooms), as well as access to the recording for two weeks following the workshop. If you require additional special arrangements for accessibility, please contact
education@caot.ca or 1-800-434-2268.