Evaluation of the Impact of the First Wave of COVID-19 and Associated Lockdown Restrictions on Persons with Disabilities in 14 States of India.

Background: There is a paucity of data to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on persons with disabilities (PwDs) in India. About 27.4 million cases were reported as of 27 May 2021.

Tele-rehabilitation for visually challenged students during COVID-19 pandemic: Lesson learned.

Purpose: The COVID-19 outbreak poses a global crisis in health care delivery system, including habilitation and rehabilitation services. In this study, we shared our experiences on telerehabilitation services established primarily for students with visual disabilities (SwVD) amidst COVID-19 pandemic and its outputs.

Methods: Following the lockdown declared on March 23, 2020, the rehabilitative team of a tertiary eye center in north India received information that many visually challenged students (VCS) were stranded in schools for the blind in Delhi, and feeling with anxiety and panic in absence of teachers.

Measuring disability in an urban slum community in India using the Washington Group questionnaire.

Background: The UN recommends that the 'Washington Group questionnaire (WGQ) on functioning' is used for data collection on disability. There are few studies on the WGQ from India.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of disability in a community-health project, using this tool: to examine if the use of the WGQ identifies more people with disability than the tools used previously.

Refractive status at birth: its relation to newborn physical parameters at birth and gestational age.

Background: Refractive status at birth is related to gestational age. Preterm babies have myopia which decreases as gestational age increases and term babies are known to be hypermetropic. This study looked at the correlation of refractive status with birth weight in term and preterm babies, and with physical indicators of intra-uterine growth such as the head circumference and length of the baby at birth.

Refractive error at birth and its relation to gestational age.

Purpose: The refractive status of premature infants is not well studied. This study was done to find the norms of refractive error in newborns at different gestational ages.

Methods: One thousand two hundred three (1203) eyes were examined for refractive error by streak retinoscopy within the first week of life between June 2001 and September 2002.