Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness

In this systematic review of research, the author analyzes studies of neural cortical activation, brain plasticity, and braille reading. The conclusions regarding the brain's plasticity and ability to reorganize are encouraging for individuals with degenerative eye conditions or late-onset blindness because they indicate that the brain can make new connections that have implications for braille reading, tactile perception, and instruction.

Visual experience improved performances of blind adults in mental rotation and mental representation of the path of a spot. Congenitally blind participants with high expertise in graphic material performed better than two categories of nonexpert participants—those who became blind early in their lives versus those who became blind later in their lives—indicating that graphic expertise may compensate for the lack of visual representations. Implications for teaching are discussed.

Race or ethnicity, demographic, and disability factors were investigated as predictors of vocational rehabilitation acceptance. Severity of disability was the strongest predictor, followed by education, a secondary disability, race or ethnicity, and age at the time of application; gender was not significant. Acceptance rates differed with specific race or ethnicity and influence of control variables. Implications for policy and research are discussed.