Abstract
Healthcare disparities occur for individuals with a variety of different disabilities including people with low vision. One of the major obstacles individuals with low vision face when accessing healthcare is limited availability of visually accessible information, which impedes comprehension and affects communication between patients and providers. This can be particularly challenging for genetics providers who often rely on visual aids to help patients understand complex genetic information. Several existing visual aids were modified to make them easier for people with low vision to see, and utilized on an iPad while talking to participants during genetic counseling sessions in an inherited retinal disease clinic. Participants were surveyed after their genetic counseling session to assess if the visual aids were visible, and to investigate the effect they had on comprehension, rapport with the genetic counselor, and informed decision making. Twelve participant surveys were collected, and overall, the participants had a positive reaction to the use of the modified visual aids. On a likert scale of 5, the average participant rating for ‘recommending the routine use of these visual aids in the clinic’ was 4.75. Additionally, the average rating of how visible the images were was 3.75 on a 4 point scale. All participants responded to the survey questions with either neutral or positive opinions regarding the use of modified visual aids in the clinic. Two participants answered a follow up survey which provided demographic and disease classification information. Given the overall positive response observed in this study, the expanded use of modified visual aids for genetics education may be considered for patients with low vision.