Introduction
VERA
Basic and
VERA Basic II (new in '01) are the first software-driven vision
screening products for educational use.VERA Basic for Windows 95, introduced
in 1998, is a simple yet powerful vision-screening program that provides
an accurate and reliable screening for visual acuity, hyperopia, and the
presence of gross binocular vision and normal eye alignment. It is now in
use in over 1000 private and public educational facilities. VERA Basic II
for Windows 98 is an enhanced version of VERA Basic, offering the user screening,
reporting and student tracking options prior users have most frequently
requested. Since most schools now have PC's, VERA presents a cost advantage
over expensive dedicated screening devices and significant advantages in
accuracy and scope of screening when compared to eye charts and manual screening
techniques. Users have consistently reported identifying visual defects
they would have otherwise missed. Eliminating data transcription and record
keeping saves any extra time spent in screening. Through the computer-generated
letters to eye doctors and parents, VERA makes the school's contemporary
health screening initiative evident to the community. The modest cost of
the programs allow most schools to make the individual purchase decision
and the unique nature of software allows for product sampling through trial
software downloads.
Product
Overview and Description
| VERA
Basic is comprised of tests for: |
 |
DISTANCE
VISUAL ACUITY rated according to standard Snellen
equivalents such as those used in conventional eye charts
(20/20, 20/40, etc.). The test is given at a 10 ft. testing
distance; short enough for most nurses' offices. |
| FARSIGHTEDNESS
(Hyperopia or "Plus Lens" test) |
| FUSION
(suppression) for simultaneous use of both eyes. |
| PHORIA
(Fixation Disparity) for eye alignment when binocular
vision is interrupted. Once the screening is completed, the
student's name, grade and date of birth along with screening
results are placed into a report ready for the eye doctor
to fill out should the student fail the screening. The screening
report is saved and may be recalled at any time. |
Product
Use and Procedure
The VERA Basic and VERA
Basic II programs are intended to be used as routine screening procedures.
The tests satisfy most state screening requirements and are practical
for use in the school setting. The information provided to eye doctors
is more than is possible with an eye chart but without the unnecessarily
detailed information provided by many mechanical screening devices.
If
Visual Acuity is adequate, the examiner proceeds to the binocular
vision tests:
 |
Before
running the screening:
Students bring with them any prescribed eyeglasses they have,
otherwise they may be unable to take the screening. The test
lenses and monitor screen are to be cleaned to provide an
unobstructed view of the tests. The monitor is positioned
so that there are no windows or bright lights reflected on
the screen. Brightness and contrast settings on the monitor
should be high enough and room lighting low enough to allow
the test screens to be easily seen through the colored test
lenses. When using a full-sized keyboard, be sure the keyboard
"NUM LOCK" is on and the test responses are entered
from the numerical keypad only. Measure a distance of ten
feet from the screen and mark with tape on the floor. Students
will stand or sit behind this line for visual acuity testing.
For the binocular vision tests, the student should sit with
relaxed but erect posture from a distance of approximately
16 inches. The examiner will be prompted to calibrate the
screening for their computer and does so by adjusting two
sliders with their mouse to properly size a test "E"
on the calibration screen. From the SETUP option on the main
screen, the user can insert their name and their school's
name into the screening report, choose which tests to run
and choose the doctor's report or parent's letter to be displayed.
Running the
screening:
|
A
double-sided lens holder (flipper) holds the two pair
of test lenses necessary for screening with VERA.
The pair of clear convex lenses are used in the "Plus
Lens" test, which screens for hyperopia. The
colored lenses, which block parts off the test images
from each eye, are used in the "Fusion"
test which screens for gross binocularity and in the
"Phoria" test, which screens for fixation
disparity. In VERA Basic II, these colored lenses
are used in the Stereopsis test as well.
|
|
The examiner proceeds to the student information screen from the main
menu and enters the student's name, grade (optional) and date of birth
and proceeds to the Visual Acuity and Hyperopia test screens. The
Visual Acuity and Hyperopia test screens display a row of "E"s
pointing up, down, right or left. The student calls out the direction
in which each "E" is pointing. A moving arrow under the
row of "E"s points to the character being tested. If the
student correctly identifies the direction of an "E,"
ENTER is pressed. For an incorrect response, the 0 (ZERO) key
is pressed. If the student cannot see any of the "E"s,
the 0 (ZERO) key is pressed once for each "E"
on the screen. If the student has insufficient visual acuity or
uncorrected farsightedness, which may affect the validity of the binocular
vision screening, a prompt alerts the examiner before the binocular
vision screening begins. In these cases, referrals are made on the
basis of the visual acuity and farsightedness screening alone. If
the person performing the vision screening chooses not to continue,
the selected report is generated ready to print.
|
| VERA
Basic and VERA Basic II: |
|
FUSION
(Suppression):
The student views an image through the colored test lenses.
Part of the image is seen with each eye and the student reports
whether they see a full or incomplete image. The examiner
presses ENTER for a correct response and the ZERO key for
an incorrect response. |
PHORIA
(Eye Alignment): The student views two images, separated
horizontally, through the colored test lenses. One image is seen with
one eye and the other image is seen with the other eye. The examiner
moves one image towards the other by pressing the space bar and stops
the movement when the student reports that the two images are centered
over one another.
|
| VERA
Basic II only: |
| |
STEREOPSIS
(Binocular Integration): The student views a screen
of tiny red and green dots through the colored test lenses.
The outline of a number 1, 2, 3 or 4 should
be visible floating in the center of the field of dots if
the student is properly integrating the vision from each eye.
The student calls out each of the four numbers presented and
the examiner enters the number reported. This test utilizes
a random-dot stereogram, not unlike commercially available
"magic eye" images. Upon completion of these tests,
the report form(s) are generated, ready for printing if needed.
Complete step-by-step instructions for the testing procedure
are provided in the User's Guide, which accompanies the software.
|
REFERRAL CRITERIA:
All students who fail the visual acuity and/or hyperopia (farsightedness)
screening should be referred to an Ophthalmologist or Optometrist
for an eye examination. It is recommended that a student who passes
visual acuity and hyperopia screening but fails at least two of
the binocular vision tests also be referred for an examination to
rule out medical or functional vision issues, especially if the
student is experiencing academic difficulties.
Features
and Benefits
|
Vera
Basic Programmed visual acuity test logic: |
 |
Uses Snellen-equivalent
E's and a programmed progression of line sizes. |
|
Insures
that every student receives exactly the same visual acuity
screening. |
|
Provides
a more accurate and reliable visual acuity screening than
an eye chart. |
|
Consistently
identifies deficits eye charts miss. |
|
Screens
for hyperopia and binocular vision. |
|
Detects
vision problems in children who may have 20/20 visual acuity. |
|
Automatically
prepares the eye doctor's letter with all screening information
inserted. |
|
No forms
to fill out, and all information can be saved for easy retrieval. |
|
School's
initiatives are showcased by the information and the format
of the computer. |
|
Generated
eye doctor's letter. |
|
Attractive
price point purchase decision can be made at individual school
level. |
|
Vera
Basic II All the features and benefits of VERA Basic, plus: |
|
More efficient
visual acuity testing logic. |
|
Reduces
testing time. |
|
Unique
stereopsis test. |
|
More accurate
identification of binocular vision deficits. |
|
Satisfies
more state screening requirements. |
|
Batch printing
capability. Allows for bulk printing of screenings after screenings
are completed. |
|
Student
List Utility Efficient tracking of students by date, grade
or screening results. |
|
Simplified
data backup and it encourages backup of screening data. |
|
Parent's
letter of screening results. |
|
Additional
opportunity to showcase school's initiatives. |
Frequently
Asked Questions
| Q: |
How
many students can I screen using this software? |
| A: |
The
software license allows for unlimited use on a single computer.
|
| Q: |
Can
I use VERA on my laptop? |
| A: |
VERA
software will run on most, but not all laptops with the following
minimum requirements: Pentium II, 266Mhz, 32 Mb RAM, and a
compatible video card. However, a conventional 14-17"
monitor is recommended. If a laptop is used, great care should
be exercised in maintaining optimal viewing conditions of
the screen, which is generally less bright than a conventional
monitor.
|
| Q: |
May
I install Vera on more than one computer at my school? |
| A: |
The
user license is intended to be for a single computer. Additional
licenses may be purchased separately.
|
| Q: |
Can
I purchase additional testing glasses? |
| A: |
Registered
users may purchase additional testing glasses to be used with
a single computer. Registration forms are included in the
VERA software kit.
|
| Q: |
If
I already have VERA Basic, can I upgrade to VERA Basic II? |
| A: |
Yes,
a VERA Basic II upgrade can be purchased at a discounted price.
|
| Q: |
How
long does it take to complete the screening for each student? |
| A: |
From
5-10 minutes.
|
| Q: |
Will
VERA meet the screening requirements for my state? |
| A: |
The
following are general guidelines:
Alabama - exceeds regs first grade and above
Alaska - exceeds regs when combined with external inspection
Arizona - meets regs minus near visual acuity
Arkansas - exceeds regs above grade 3. Grades K-3 require
cover and corneal light reflex tests
Colorado - meets regs minus near point of convergence
Connecticut - meets regs
Delaware - meets regs
Florida - meets regs
Georgia - meets regs
Hawaii - meets regs
Idaho - meets regs
Illinois - meets regs
Indiana - meets regs minus modified clinical technique when
required
Iowa - meets regs
Kansas - meets regs above grade 1. Grade 1 requires near point
of convergence
Kentucky - n/a; determined by each school district
Louisiana - meets regs minus corneal reflex test
Maine - meets regs
Maryland - n/a; determined by each school district
Massachusetts - meets regs
Michigan - meets regs minus corneal reflex test
Minnesota - meets regs
Mississippi - n/a; determined by each school district
Missouri - exceeds regs
Montana - exceeds regs
Nebraska - meets regs minus accommodation testing which is
not specified
Nevada - n/a; determined by each school district
New Hampshire - exceeds regs
New Jersey - meets regs minus near vision testing
New Mexico - n/a; information unavailable
New York - meets regs
North Carolina - does not meet all regs, no NVA or NPC tests
North Dakota - exceeds regs
Ohio - meets regs minus near vision testing
Oklahoma - exceeds regs
Oregon - meets regs
Pennsylvania - exceeds regs
Rhode Island - exceeds regs
South Carolina - exceeds regs
South Dakota - exceeds regs
Tennessee - n/a; determined by each school district
Texas - does not meet all regs; no cover and corneal light
reflex tests
Utah - exceeds regs
Vermont - does not meet all regs; no cover test
Virginia - meets regs
Washington - meets regs
West Virginia - n/a; information incomplete
Wisconsin - exceeds regs
Wyoming - exceeds regs
|
| |
Note that the
cover test, near point of convergence and corneal light reflex tests
are all out-of-instrument tests.
Technical
Specifications
|
Vera
Basic: Windows 95 or higher, 30 MB free disc space.
User instructions are in the CD insert. User can install Acrobat
reader from the CD Rom (if they do not have it on their computer)
to view or print a full size manual from the .pdf file on
the CD-rom |
| Vera
Basic II: Windows 98 or higher, 50 MB free disk
space. Direct X 7 or higher is required. Direct X is the piece
of software windows uses to draw certain images. VERA Basic
II will check for the proper version of Direct X and upgrade
the user if they do not have it. A separate booklet manual
is included. The user can install Acrobat reader from the
CD Rom (if they do not have it on their computer) to view
or print an additional full size manual from the .pdf file
on the CD-rom. A 14" - 17" monitor is recommended. |
To
install VERA software:
| 1. |
Place the VERA CD in your computer's CD-ROM drive. |
| 2. |
If the install process does not automatically start, choose
Run from the start menu. |
| 3. |
In the Run dialogue box type x:\setup.exe where x is the letter
of your CD-ROM drive. For instance, if your CD-ROM drive were
d, you would type d:\setup.exe. |
| 4. |
Follow
the on-screen instructions to install and calibrate the program. |
To calibrate VERA:
After installation, VERA needs to be calibrated so that the visual
acuity test characters it displays are sized appropriately. To do
this, simple adjustments are made on a calibration screen which
VERA automatically presents the first time the program is run.
The screen consists of a large "E" and two sliders. A
ruler marked with millimeters is held to the horizontal side of
the "E" on the screen and the mouse is used to move the
slider until that side of the "E" is 100mm (10cm). The
ruler is moved to the vertical side of the "E" and the
slider adjusted similarly until that side of the "E" is
also 100mm (10cm).
Calibration can be rerun from the SETUP option on VERA's main menu
if monitor size or resolution is changed.
Product
Ordering Information
| SH
Catalog # |
Product
Name |
| 90448 |
Vera
Basic |
| 90447 |
Vera
Basic II |
| 90449 |
Upgrade
from Vera I to Vera II |
|
