A Busy October for NECO’s Low Vision Team

October was a big month for low vision—and NECO’s Low Vision team was right in the middle of it!

At Academy 2026 in Anaheim, NECO’s Low Vision team contributed 12 presentations spanning research, clinical education, and rehabilitation. Highlights included Drs. Jem Martin and Nicole Ross at a joint Binocular Vision and Low Vision symposium on cerebral visual impairment (CVI); work on AI-simulated patient encounters and teaching frameworks for difficult conversations in low vision care; and preliminary findings from the BeST-AID telerehabilitation study on reading outcomes following near low vision device provision.

Drs. Jem Martin and Nicole Ross presenting with Dr. Melissa Rice, Dr. Karen Harpster and Dr. Melinda Chang at the joint Binocular Vision and Low Vision symposium on cerebral visual impairment.

The momentum continued on October 24 at the Foundation Fighting Blindness New England Vision Connection: Hope in Focus event at Foxwoods. Drs. Ross and Dorling attended, and Dr. Ross joined Dr. Jason Comander of Mass Eye and Ear for a patient-focused Q&A on emerging treatments and the complementary role of low vision rehabilitation for people with inherited retinal diseases.

Dr. Phillipa (Pip) Dorling attended “Dining in the Dark,” part of the Foundation Fighting Blindness and Hope in Focus event.

With World Sight Day and White Cane Safety Day both observed in October, it was a fitting month to celebrate accessibility, independence, and the impact of vision rehabilitation. A busy month—and a reminder of NECO’s active role in the low vision community!

Stay Connected with Our Research

Want to see what the Low Vision Research Lab is working on? Visit our lab webpage for the latest updates, scientific posters, presentations, publications, and resources.