I worked as a research assistant in Dr. Walter Wu’s Ohio Lab for Visual Impairment at the OSU College of Optometry for my summer STEP Project Experience. The lab’s overarching goal is to better understand how visual impairment affects people’s daily functions and activities. My work consisted of pilot testing our IRB project titled the Contrast Polarity Project, beginning recruitment and testing of both normal and low vision participants, and evaluating the resulting data sets. The Contrast Polarity Project is focused on trying to better understand why some low vision people prefer to read in a reverse contrast text setting rather than the traditional black text on white background version. This is accomplished using visual acuity tests, contrast sensitivity tests, MNRead tests, and various text setting conditions. 

My experience working with many visually impaired people, including Dr. Wu himself, has proven a valuable experience that has not only taught me many of the intricacies, difficulties, and workflows of clinical and behavioral research but has also broadened my understanding of the many societal shortcomings and oversights in providing a truly accessible world to the impaired. 

While learning how to properly write, submit, revise, and enact IRB Research proposals, I also learned many complexities involved in providing aid to low vision people. From understanding how the array of different pathologies affects functional vision, to deciphering the needs of patients in their daily activities, to deciding the correct course of surgery or tools needed to enhance daily quality of life, many difficult deciding factors go into helping patients with ophthalmic pathologies. Being able to holistically observe and be a part of teams that not only provide quality healthcare services to underserved and underrepresented communities but also seek to further the research and understanding that allows the opportunity for quality care has been a transformative and deeply illuminating adventure into the healthcare world. 

Some of the most impactful interactions and relationships I’ve had have been with the many low-vision participants we have coming into the research lab. Many of them, regardless of whether they’ve lived their whole lives or just a few months with their conditions, are some of the kindest, most genuine, and most infectious personalities. Their ability to achieve their goals with such determination and positivity with no regard for their diminished visual functionality is incredibly admirable and inspiring.  

Furthermore, working with the OSU Low Vision Rehabilitation Clinic’s optometrists and optometry students has bolstered my belief and goal of working in a healthcare setting where I can provide quality care to my utmost ability. Starkly different from many typical healthcare systems, the work done in the LV Rehab Clinic is truly focused on providing the greatest experience and functional vision possible for its patients. The effort to fully understand how a patient uses their vision in daily life, fine-tune a personal plan and tools to aid their vision goals, and provide continuity in patient care and relationships over the years is truly unique. Being able to watch patients who have suffered from their conditions for years or even decades without true aid finally being heard and provided with care in a way that enhances their quality of life is both humbling and motivating.  

Finally, I think the most impactful relationship I’ve formed throughout this project and hope to continue to develop over the coming semesters is that with my PI, Dr. Walter Wu. As a student unfamiliar with behavioral research and direct patient care, the prospect of this project was originally quite daunting. As a new faculty member and native Taiwanese citizen, Dr. Wu has experienced his own learning curves and adjustments during his move and start at OSU. This shared adventure into the unknown has been extremely beneficial in building a professional yet supportive and friendly relationship. It has helped me to evolve into a more confident and outgoing person and has taught me the value of creating both professional and personal relationships within academia. He has taught me that the unknown and having questions is okay, normal even, and to not let anxiety and worry stand in the way of our goals and aspirations.

I think this experience has been greatly impactful in my understanding of the relationship between research and patient care, my confidence in entering new or daunting experiences and opportunities, and my mindfulness and gratefulness for what I have. While I continue to discern what professional path I will take, my continued research and work with the visually impaired have solidified and bolstered my intent and determination to pursue a career in which I can make an impactful difference in people’s quality of life and happiness. 

stock image displaying some of the accessibility options (reverse contrast, larger text size, increased contrast) commonly utilized by visually impaired people.

Chart displaying typical daily tasks and the associated clinical visual acuity score threshold needed to safely and fully complete them.