Addressing Accessibility Inequities with COVID Home-Based Testing for Individuals with Visual Impairment
| The National Eye Institute (NEI) is issuing a Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) to support research addressing the urgent need to provide accessible home-based COVID testing to people who are visually impaired.
In 2021, at-home rapid antigen tests that can identify SARS-CoV-2 were given FDA Emergency Use Authorization for self-testing without needing to ship samples to a lab. They are particularly important for people who have difficulty reaching testing sites and have been in high demand as infection rates rise and people seek them ahead of gatherings and travel. For people with visual disabilities, securing at-home tests is only part of the challenge; currently, there are limited at-home testing options that people with visual impairment can use independently. Existing test kits do not provide instructions in Braille, large text, or audio formats. The interaction with the test requires precise visuomotor dexterity to insert the sample. Interpreting the results relies on low-contrast visual cues, often using colors to convey information. Although technologies exist for other diagnostics to deliver information by tactile means, SARS-CoV-2 tests do not. This NOSI encourages researchers to leverage existing partnerships and build new partnerships with key stakeholders to develop and implement specific, targeted approaches for home-based testing strategies for people with visual impairment. Strategies should be scalable, sustainable, and consider the multiple stakeholders (e.g., visually impaired, blind children, adults with low vision, older adults, parents/guardians, caregivers). This notice applies to due dates on or after March 7, 2022, and subsequent receipt dates through March 9, 2024. More information here
|