Call for support

Request for Information on Best Practices in Physiotherapy for Persons with Blindness and Low Vision

The Xavier’s Resource Center for the Visually Challenged (XRCVC) is a department of the St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, India, one of India’s premier institutes. We work for the holistic development of persons with disabilities and more information about our work can be found on our website www.xrcvc.org.

We are currently working on promoting the study and practice of physiotherapy among blind and low vision persons.

Little over a decade ago, we had legally challenged an entrenched system disqualifying the blind from even appearing for an eligibility entrance test for the study of physiotherapy. After a prolonged legal struggle, the student in question, and a few others, successfully completed the program and have their own private practice.

A recent regulatory change in the field of medical education in India has brought in the disqualifying clauses, that we had overcome, once again. We are currently supporting an aspiring student with a legal challenge to this clause. The road is not easy, even though we have a legal precedent. Many questions are being asked in court and we are preparing a more thorough going legal response over and above our arguments in the earlier case. In this connection, we need your help.

The Honourable Court has particularly advised us to get information about global best practices and technical literature in the study and practice of physiotherapy for blind and low vision persons. For this any information on the following questions would be helpful to us:

1. Would there be any data in the public domain on blind and visually impaired persons studying and practicing Physiotherapy / Physical therapy in your country, or across the world? What are the various courses they undertake?

2. What about ICU exposure? What reasonable accommodations can be worked out?

3. What about Electrotherapy and the potential risk of burns?

4. Are there any documented policies regarding the study and practice of Physiotherapy /Physical therapy by blind and low vision persons? If yes, could you please share the policy.

5. Effective handling for physiotherapists with blindness and low vision of biomechanical analysis of posture and movement (observation of body parts with respect to each other and supporting surface as well as observation of movement patterns during functional performance for and during treatment procedures), measurement of muscle strength and assessment of loss of balance / co-ordination, observation that patient is doing appropriate movements / exercise and not doing trick movements during exercise

6. Management of critical patient populations like neurological patients who are paralysed or babies with neurological conditions like cerebral palsy, geriatric patients etc.

7. Are there any books, research articles, case studies, any other legal precedents or other resources that could help us strengthen our argument.

We would appreciate any information you could share for the same. You can write to us at sam@xrcvc.org addressing Dr. Sam Taraporevala, Executive Director – Xavier’s Resource Center for the Visually Challenged.