ORVIS: A Directory of Tools for Vision Rehabilitation
Funded between 2013-2015 (Marie-Chantal Wanet-Defalque) and since 2016 (Walter Wittich)
Goal
The ORVIS infrastructure provides information on measurement tools available in French (or in both French and English) that have been validated and supported by evidence, and that are relevant to research and rehabilitation involving people living with visual impairment. ORVIS supports researchers and practitioners across the Francophone community in the assessment of the functional, perceptual, cognitive, and psychological aspects of visual impairment.
Description
ORVIS is an online repository whose content is continuously evolving, free of charge, and fully accessible to people with visual impairments.
The electronic repository is organized into five main sections:
- Useful information about the repository, including a glossary and guidance on the interpretation of measurement properties;
- Summary sheets describing measurement tools, organized into categories inspired by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF);
- A list of measurement tools excluded from the repository, together with the rationale for their exclusion;
- Monitoring of new tools and tracking of the progress of validation studies or new versions;
- News and information about ORVIS dissemination activities.
The tools included in ORVIS are selected according to scientific and practical criteria. They must:
- be validated in their original language;
- be accompanied by a validated French version;
- be relevant to vision rehabilitation;
- be supported by evidence;
- be available for acquisition;
- be current and up to date;
- be relatively easy to administer.
The strategic directions of ORVIS are supported by an advisory committee that oversees tool selection, the format and content of tool summaries, and the implementation of the communication plan.
Impact
The ORVIS repository facilitates the identification and selection of robust measurement instruments that are well suited to clinical and research objectives. By contributing to the harmonization of measurement practices, it also promotes more accurate assessments of individuals living with visual impairments. ORVIS further supports the transfer and mobilization of knowledge between research and clinical practice.
The steady growth in the number of visits to the online repository demonstrates its value and reach, primarily across French-speaking countries, but also beyond the Francophone community. To date, the repository includes more than 50 measurement tools.
Accessibility
ORVIS is available at www.orvis.vision. Its tool summaries comply with the Government of Québec Accessibility Standard and are designed to be used by all individuals, whether or not they have a disability. ORVIS describes measurement tools and identifies relevant studies, but it does not hold the rights required to distribute the tools or the cited articles. Consequently, the ORVIS team is unable to provide either the instruments described in the repository or the publications corresponding to the bibliographic references.
Infrastructure administrator
Walter Wittich, PhD , FAAO , CLVT, School of Optometry, University of Montreal – CRIR Researcher – CRIR Site Manager: INLB and MAB-Mackay
Contact information
Walter Wittich – walter.wittich@umontreal.ca
Amélie Desnoyers – amelie.desnoyers.inlb@ssss.gouv.qc.ca
Hyperlinks to the directory – French only: Répertoire ORVIS – Extranet – Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille
Funding
Vision Sciences Research Network (VHRN) and the Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille (INLB), Santé Québec Montérégie-Centre.
Written in part with the help of Copilot AI