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Glare is "the dazzling sensation of relatively bright light, which produces unpleasantness or discomfort, or which interferes with optimum vision" (Cline, Hofstetter, & Griffin, 1989, p. 292). Ophthalmologists have determined that if an individual is sensitive to glare, the problem exists in the corneal layers, lens capsule, lens cortex, lens nucleus, vitreous, or retina (Faye, 1986; Gawande, Roloff, & Marmor, 1992; Jose, 1983; Maino & McMahon, 1986).
A survey of O&M specialists and people with low vision has identified glare as the number one low vision O&M problem (Smith, De l'Aune, & Geruschat, 1992). Glare will continue to be a major problem for low vision clients unless they receive a comprehensive clinical and functional O&M glare sensitivity evaluation. Low vision optometrists Waiss and Cohen (1991) have highlighted the importance of an O&M glare assessment: "Quite often eye care professionals trivialize the problem [of glare sensitivity] and are cavalier in their replies to the patient, providing merely the stock answers of telling the patient to obtain either optical quality prescription sunwear or try over the counter sunwear in a more or less trial and error fashion" (pp. 345-346).
Finding a glare control remedy based solely on clinical glare sensitivity testing, such as the Brightness Acuity Tester (B. A. T.) or the Miller-Nadler glare tester, is difficult because those tests are not always reliable indicators of functional glare problems found in the environment (Gawande et al., 1992). The two goals of an O&M glare remediation program are to minimize eye discomfort and to maximize visual resolution.
Unless glare sensitivity is controlled, an effective low vision O&M training program cannot begin. In this article I provide information that can enable the O&M specialist to (a) plan an individually tailored functional glare assessment, based on the information in the client's low vision eye examination report; (b) objectively measure the client's sensitivity to three types of glare problems; (c) select the correct glare remedy, based on knowledge of glare control options and considerations (a visually impaired client who is sensitive to more than one type of glare may require a combination of glare control remedies); and (d) provide consumer education information to the client to ensure lasting glare control success. My recommendations can be incorporated into a functional low vision...