Visual Impairment Research (VIR) is a new journal addressing all aspects of visual impairment. Its aim is to provide a multidisciplinary forum for all aspects of research on visual impairment, made up of perceptual psychology, ophthalmology, optometry, gerontology, rehabilitation service delivery, psychophysics, device research and development, cognitive science, social work, and special education.

Accordingly, manuscripts are welcome on a broad range of topics, including clinical and visual function, psychophysical studies, vision rehabilitation interventions, epidemiology, assessment and outcome studies. Also solicited are articles of general interest that may have significance for the global vision rehabilitation and research communities.

Visual Impairment Research offers authors of papers with scientific merit, a dedicated journal for their manuscripts with high impact, as it will have international scope and international circulation. As the official journal of the International Society for Low-Vision Research and Rehabilitation (ISLRR), the journal will help to spark more international communication and cooperation.

Visual Impairment Research is being launched at a time when the field of visual impairment is bursting with new knowledge and when research from basic vision research is beginning to be applied in rehabilitation. In addition, many new technologies (e.g. computers, displays, electronic transactions of machines, and World Wide Web) are placing increased demands on the visual abilities of people.