Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness
Celebrating 100 Years

July 2006 • Volume 100Number 7

Contents

Articles

Braille

Review of Research: Neuroscience and the Impact of Brain Plasticity on Braille Reading--Cheryl Kamei Hannan, print edition pages 397-413

Abstract: In this systematic review of research, the author analyzes studies of neural cortical activation, brain plasticity, and braille reading. The conclusions regarding the brain's plasticity and ability to reorganize are encouraging for individuals with degenerative eye conditions or late-onset blindness because they indicate that the brain can make new connections that have implications for braille reading, tactile perception, and instruction.

Mental Imagery

The Effects of Visual Experience and Training in Raised-Line Materials on the Mental Spatial Imagery of Blind Persons--David Dulin and Yvette Hatwell, print edition pages 414-424

Abstract: Visual experience improved performances of blind adults in mental rotation and mental representation of the path of a spot. Congenitally blind participants with high expertise in graphic material performed better than two categories of nonexpert participants--those who became blind early in their lives versus those who became blind later in their lives--indicating that graphic expertise may compensate for the lack of visual representations. Implications for teaching are discussed.

Rehabilitation

Contextual Effects of Race or Ethnicity on Acceptance for Vocational Rehabilitation of Consumers Who Are Legally Blind--Brenda S. Cavenaugh, J. Martin Giesen, and Bernard A. Steinman, print edition pages 425-436

Abstract: Race or ethnicity, demographic, and disability factors were investigated as predictors of vocational rehabilitation acceptance. Severity of disability was the strongest predictor, followed by education, a secondary disability, race or ethnicity, and age at the time of application; gender was not significant. Acceptance rates differed with specific race or ethnicity and influence of control variables. Implications for policy and research are discussed.

NEWS AND FEATURES

Editor's Page, print edition pages 387-389

Letter to the Editor, print edition pages 389

A Look Back, print edition pages 390-396, 438-440

This Mattered to Me--Stuart H. Wittenstein, print edition pages 437-438

Web Special Feature

"The Exploration of a 'Tactile Aesthetic'"--Judith A. Rubin

From the Field, print edition pages 440-441

News, print edition pages 442-443

Calendar, print edition pages 443-448

Classified, print edition pages 448

How to Use JVIB PDFs
For more information on how to use the PDFs of the print issue that are provided with this edition of JVIB Online, please visit www.afb.org/jvib/pdfs.asp.


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Teaching Social Skills to Students with Visual Impairments: From Theory to Practice

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Tactile Strategies for Children Who Have Visual Impairments and Multiple Disabilities: Promoting Communication and Learning Skills

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CALL FOR PAPERS

Special JVIB Theme Issue: Multiple Disabilities

Guest editor: Bernadette Kappen, Ph.D., director, Overbrook School for the Blind

Deadline for submissions: January 31, 2007

Projected publication date: October 2007

The Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB) invites submissions for a special theme issue, Multiple Disabilities. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

* Language and communication skills

* Career development and employment

* Social and emotional skills and sex education

* Orientation and mobility

* Leisure and recreation and community skills

* Self-determination

* Transition planning

* Special medical concerns and common etiologies

* Emergent literacy skills and functional literacy skills

* Social isolation

* Behavioral issues

* Motor development, including sensory integration

* Assessment, testing, and No Child Left Behind

* Personnel needs and preparations for pre-service and continuing education

* Technology and assistive technology

* Curriculum and effective Individualized Education Programs (IEPs)

* Service delivery models and related services

Guidelines for contributors are generally printed in each issue of JVIB, and are also available from AFB Press, American Foundation for the Blind: web site: <www.afb.org/jvib_guidelines.asp>; phone: 212-502-7651; e-mail: <afbpress@afb.net>.

Manuscripts should be sent for peer review to:
Duane R. Geruschat, Ph.D.
Editor in Chief, JVIB
Lions Vision Center
550 North Broadway
6th Floor
Baltimore, MD 21205

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CALL FOR PAPERS

Celebrating 100 Years ... and Beyond!

In its centennial volume year, the Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness remains the primary journal of record for the field of visual impairment and is a critical forum for the discussion of significant research, practice, and trends.

The journal seeks to provide readers with essential information to support and inform their professional thinking and practice. In addition to articles and reports on all aspects of the work of the field, from educational practice to low vision service delivery to rehabilitation issues, JVIB welcomes submissions on the following topics of great current concern:

* Practice reports from teachers of students with visual impairments, including students with multiple disabilities

* Discussions of low vision service delivery, focusing on models of team collaboration and service provider roles, funding and reimbursement issues, and patient need and service outcomes

* Perspectives on the impact of federal No Child Left Behind legislation on programs for students with visual impairments and on teacher effectiveness

* Experiences of participants in the national Medicare demonstration project examining reimbursement of services by certified orientation and mobility specialists, low vision therapists, and vision rehabilitation therapists

* Examinations of different certification models and approaches in such areas as orientation and mobility

Guidelines for contributors are generally printed in each issue of JVIB, and are also available from AFB Press, American Foundation for the Blind: web site: <www.afb.org/jvib_guidelines.asp>; phone: 212-502-7651; e-mail: <afbpress@afb.net>.

Manuscripts should be sent for peer review to:

Duane R. Geruschat, Ph.D.

Editor in Chief, JVIB

Lions Vision Center

550 North Broadway

6th Floor

Baltimore, MD 21205

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CALL FOR PAPERS

Special JVIB Theme Issue Macular Degeneration: The New Epidemic

Guest editors: Lylas Mogk, M.D., medical director, Visual Rehabilitation and Research Center, Henry Ford Health System. Gale Watson, M.Ed., blind rehabilitation specialist, Blind Rehabilitation Service, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and certified low vision therapist, Rehabilitation Research and Development Center on Aging Veterans with Vision Loss, Atlanta VA Medical Center.

Deadline for submissions: January 31, 2008

Projected publication date: October 2008

The Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB) invites submissions for a special theme issue on macular degeneration. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

* Pathology of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), demographics, and risk factors

* Current medical and surgical treatments and those on the horizon

* The impact of AMD on visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and central visual field

* The functional impact of AMD: literacy, activities of daily living, community participation, and mobility and transportation

* The impact on function of co-morbidities common to aging

* The psychosocial impact of AMD

* Charles Bonnet Syndrome: prevalence, theories, and experience

* The impact of AMD on family and community interactions

* Personal stories of AMD

* The impact of AMD on society

* Rehabilitation of individuals with AMD: visual skills, activities of daily living, environmental adaptations, and counseling

* Service delivery systems and funding issues

* Outcome studies for rehabilitation services

* Future trends and expectations

The guest editors welcome your inquiries and ideas for this issue. Contact the editors by e-mail: Lylas Mogk, <lmogk1@hfhs.org>; and Gale Watson, <gale.watson@med.va.gov>.

Guidelines for contributors are generally printed in each issue of JVIB, and are also available from AFB Press, American Foundation for the Blind; web site: <www.afb.org/jvib_guidelines.asp>; phone: 212-502-7651; e-mail: <afbpress@afb.net>.

Manuscripts should be sent for peer review to: Dr. Duane Geruschat, Editor in Chief, JVIB, Lions Vision Center, 550 North Broadway, 6th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21205.

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JVIB Guidelines for Contributors

The Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness (JVIB) is the international, interdisciplinary journal of record on blindness and visual impairment that publishes scholarship and information and serves as a forum for the exchange of ideas, airing of controversies, and discussion of issues.

JVIB INVITES SUBMISSIONS IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES

Article: Full-length manuscripts on research, theory, reviews of the literature, or practice-based activities. The topics may have far-reaching and broad impact. Articles are peer reviewed. Length: 2,500-5,000 words.

Research Report: A shorter format for presenting research results. The main difference between articles and Research Reports is length. In addition, Research Reports may have a more focused or narrower impact than articles and may report pilot studies, research in progress, or studies with a small number of subjects. Research Reports are peer reviewed. Length: 1,000-2,500 words.

Practice Report: An opportunity for teachers, rehabilitation specialists, and other practitioners to share information about innovative techniques, strategies, and service delivery. Practice Reports are shorter in length than practice-based articles and may provide more focused information and a less comprehensive discussion of the implications. Practice Reports are peer reviewed. Length: 1,000-2,500 words.

Around the World: A forum for reporting on research or programs that are specific to one culture or part of the world and that may not have broader relevance. Around the World articles are peer reviewed. Length: 500-2,500 words.

Comment: A discussion of a timely topic, based on the author's experience or opinions. Comments are not peer reviewed. Length: 500-1,000 words.

Letter to the Editor: A direct response to a paper that was recently published in JVIB. The authors of the paper referred to are given a chance to respond to the letter in the same issue in which the letter appears. Note that letters may be edited for length and style. Letters are not peer reviewed. Length: Varies.

SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Authors should send one paper copy and one disk copy (preferably in ASCII or Microsoft Word). Authors are required to sign a Copyright Transfer Agreement that gives AFB copyright to the paper once it is published. JVIB does not consider manuscripts that are simultaneously submitted elsewhere or previously published elsewhere.

CONTACT INFORMATION

The full version of the JVIB Guidelines for Contributors can be found online, <www.afb.org/jvib_guidelines.asp>, or by contacting AFB Press, 11 Penn Plaza, Suite 300, New York, NY 10001; phone: 212-502-7651; fax: 212-502-7774; e-mail: <press@afb.net>. Manuscripts should be sent to: Duane R. Geruschat, Ph.D., Editor in Chief, Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, Lions Vision Center, 550 North Broadway, 6th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21205; e-mail: <jvib@lions.med.jhu.edu>.

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