Churchill Fellowship Travels to Countries with Formal Bioptic Driving Programs

Main photo Dr Jing Xu, small photo on bottom right Belinda O’Connor I came across Dr Xu’s work through The Eye, The Brain, The Auto “ 10th World Research Congress on Vision and Driving and the Impact of Autonomous Vehicle Technology on Healthcare ” https://www.henryford.com/hcp/research/clinical-research/vision/research-congress/eye-brain-auto  . And her paper “Clinical Report: Experiences of a Driver with Vision Impairment when Using a Tesla Car” in which the driver was also a bioptic driver:  https://www.researchgate.net/publication/358559671_Experiences_of_a_Driver_with_Vision_Impairment_when_Using_a_Tesla_Car   “Conclusions:   This clinical report demonstrates how assisted and semiautonomous driving systems in a Tesla car were used to support daily driving by a driver with vision impairment . Codriving with these systems allows him to confidently drive more often and to avoid less situations than he used to.”   About Dr Jing Xu   Dr. Jing Xu holds the p...

California has a long history of low vision and bioptic driving with many critical events in evolution. In this blog I interview various people about California's history and current practice and reflect on the similarities and differences of success factors and barriers for Australia. Of particular interest in California is the controversy around studies done in 1983 and 1996 on motor vehicle collision rates of bioptic drivers. Interviews with: California's first licensed bioptic driver Dr Dennis Kelleher California DMV Research and Development Branch University of Berkeley - Professor Bailey and Associate Professor Chu The Association for Driver Rehabilitation Specialist  Dr Deemer, Assistant Professor Low Vision Rehabilitation Services, Southern California College of Optometry Marshall B. Ketchum University California's first licensed bioptic driver Dr Dennis Kelleher Meet Dr Dennis Kelleher, California's first legal bioptic driver in 1971! Listen to his story on how...

  Agenda for the last TSBVI In the Drivers Seat weekend A jump up to the fast-paced Austin, Texas is worlds apart from my previous stops in the USA. Here the culture, road infrastructure, services look like Melbourne and Sydney. Here bioptic driving has been around in the 1970s in practice and then formalised in law in the 1980s. Like many other places allowing those down to legally blind (20/200) to drive with a bioptic (20/40) if they pass the extensive eye and onroad testing with regular reviews. There is greatness in this place. The community spirit and pride of disability driving services that meet the needs of low vision as a distinct service to the blind.   This longer blog will look at: program overview, optometrist involvement, pre-driver readiness and disability driver instructor involvement and finally we meet some pioneers in the field.                    “Teamwork makes the dream work” John...