For the first time in Israel, individuals with aphasia—people who experience language and communication challenges following brain injury or stroke—have received vision assessments specifically adapted to their needs. These customized tests ensured that evaluations were accessible, accurate, and centered on each patient’s communication abilities.

This pioneering initiative, led by Jerusalem Multidisciplinary College (JMC), resulted in transformative outcomes: some participants received custom prescription glasses for the first time, while others were referred for tailored vision rehabilitation sessions—levels of care previously unavailable to them.

The project represents a groundbreaking collaboration between two academic and clinical units at JMC: the Master’s Program in Optometry and the Adler Aphasia Center within the Department of Communication Disorders. Together, they developed tools and training that enabled optometrists to provide inclusive, patient-centered neuro-optometric evaluations—even for individuals with severe language impairments.