Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness 2028 Special Issue on Aging and Vision: Research, Practice, Policy, and Personnel

Issue Details

Guest Editors:

John E. Crews, DPA
Nancy D. Miller, MSSW

Deadline for Submissions:

February 28, 2028

Projected Publication Date:

November-December 2028 issue

Description

The number of older people living with blindness or low vision is growing rapidly as baby boomers age and people are generally living longer. The fastest growth in the prevalence rate of eye disease includes the oldest cohort (i.e., individuals aged 85+ years), older people living in or near poverty, and older people of color. The impact of vision impairment affects entire family units and communities. In many states, territories, and provinces—both in the United States and abroad—services for the older population living with blindness or low vision are limited in both scope and funding. Despite these issues, older people with blindness or low vision are living their best lives at home, at work, and in the community. JVIB invites you to tell the story of the capabilities of older people living with blindness or low vision through innovative research, effective practices, public policies, recruitment of qualified professionals, conceptual papers, and short reports. We are seeking demographics and evidence of successful strategies that improve outcomes and capture the unique experiences of older people living with visual impairments (i.e., blindness or low vision) in the United States and around the world. Research that employs various methodologies (quantitative, qualitative, case study, and mixed methods) and international contributions are welcome.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following for older adults who are blind or have low vision:

  • Current demographics for older people who are blind or have low vision in the United States and around the world
  • The Older Individuals Who Are Blind–Technical Assistance Center (OIB-TAC): What is it, what are its major findings?
  • Employment
  • Successful outcomes in vision rehabilitation services
  • Personnel preparation for serving older adults with visual impairments
  • Orientation and mobility
  • Accessing services: successful outreach and referral approaches
  • Mental health, vision impairment, and aging (including depression and adjustment to vision impairment)
  • Successful collaboration between professional networks that focus on aging or on vision
  • Falls prevention, vision, and aging
  • Policy issues (including proposed legislation)
  • Access to hobbies and creative outlets
  • Social engagement to combat loneliness in this population
  • Family dynamics
  • Older people with visual impairments as caregivers
  • Intergenerational activities with positive outcomes for both cohorts

Submission information:

Papers may be submitted to the journal's Editor in Chief Robert Wall Emerson, PhD, Western Michigan University, at https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jvib. Submitted manuscripts will undergo standard peer review. Guidelines for contributors are available from the American Foundation for the Blind website: https://www.afb.org/news-publications/publications/jvib/authors; e-mail, jvib@afb.org.

Call for Peer Reviewers

If you have experience in aging and visual impairment and an interest in reviewing the papers submitted for this special issue during the peer review process, please sign up to become a JVIB peer reviewer, by creating a new account in SageTrack: https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/jvib.