Visual screening without the use of technical equipment: preliminary development of a behaviorally validated questionnaire.

The collection of epidemiological data pertaining to visual status usually requires individual testing and the use of technical equipment and trained personnel. To expedite such screening a self-report inventory, which validly predicted laboratory or clinical testing, but in a format suitable for group testing and administration by nontechnically trained staff, would be useful. This paper demonstrates the feasibility of such a screening technique. A preliminary inventory was validated against laboratory tests for acuity, color vision, and binocular function and was shown to be capable of ascertaining visual capacities and predicting visual deficits on these dimensions.