SIMULATION GLASSES FOR DEMONSTRATING VISION IMPAIRMENTS IN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY EDUCATION: EDUCATIONAL POTENTIAL AND PRACTICAL APPLICATION

Abstract

This article explores the use of simulation glasses as an innovative educational tool in the professional training of occupational therapists working with individuals who have visual impairments. Visual disorders are among the most prevalent functional limitations worldwide and significantly affect a person’s ability to perform activities of daily living, social participation, and independent mobility. In this context, occupational therapists must possess not only theoretical knowledge but also a deep functional understanding of how different types of visual impairments influence everyday occupations.

The study analyzes the main categories of visual impairments that can be simulated using low vision simulation glasses, including reduced visual acuity (cataract, high myopia, diabetic retinopathy), central vision loss (age-related macular degeneration), peripheral vision loss (glaucoma, retinitis pigmentosa), and hemianopsia caused by neurological damage. Particular emphasis is placed on the functional consequences of each impairment and their impact on reading, orientation, mobility, self-care, and environmental interaction.

The educational value of experiential and simulation-based learning is substantiated as an effective approach for developing empathy, clinical reasoning, and patient-centered thinking among occupational therapy students. The article presents a functional classification of rehabilitation profiles based on the type of visual impairment and outlines corresponding occupational therapy intervention strategies, including environmental adaptations, compensatory techniques, assistive technologies, and mobility training.

International experience in the use of simulation technologies in healthcare education is reviewed, highlighting their effectiveness in enhancing empathy and professional competencies. Pedagogical principles for the safe and ethical implementation of simulation exercises are defined, with attention to risk management, reflective debriefing, and the limitations of simulation in fully representing lived disability experience.

The article proposes practical recommendations for integrating simulation glasses into occupational therapy education programs in Ukraine. The use of simulation-based learning is positioned as a valuable component of modern rehabilitation education, particularly relevant in the context of increasing numbers of individuals with vision loss due to injury, chronic disease, and war-related trauma.