New International Master’s programme Visual Impairment: Assessment and Support

September 2012 the University of Groningen will start an interdisciplinary Master’s programme in Visual Impairment: Assessment and Support. This Master is mainly meant for professionals in the education, care and rehabilitation of people with visual impairment and of people with intellectual and visual impairment.

Dr Paul Looijestijn, curriculum coordinator of the programme: “Our Master’s programme takes an interdisciplinary approach to ocular impairment as well as cerebral visual impairment. The mission of this Master’s degree programme is to train our professional students in qualitative and quantitative research, aimed at improving the participation of children and adults with visual impairment and the combination of intellectual disabilities and visual impairment.”

In its interdisciplinary approach, this Master of Science degree programme is the first in the world to be based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health of the World Health Organization and the support model of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

After completing the programme, students will be awarded a Master’s degree in Educational Sciences and be well trained and qualified to work as researchers in the field of people with visual impairment or people with intellectual disabilities and visual impairment. A lack of knowledge of professionals often has strong negative effects on the quality of life. Research questions could be: What is cerebral visual impairment (CVI) and neuropsychological assessment of higher visual functions? How does visual impairment develop in a progressive disease in the retina or in the brain? And moreover, what are the effects on social contact in daily life if you cannot distinguish faces or facial expressions?

This programme is recognized and certified by Leonardo European Vision Rehabilitation and Education Training Association and certified by the WHO Collaborating Centre for the Family of International Classifications in the Netherlands. A prospective can be downloaded: www.rug.nl/prospectiveStudents/degreeProgrammes/mastersProgrammes/masters/croho66607vi

Note for the editor

More information: Dr. P.L. Looijestijn, curriculum coordinator, phone: +31505997170/3636587email: p.l.looijestijn rug.nl