Abstract

The English language IReST is a measure of continuous reading, developed and normalized in the United Kingdom (UK) that is used to assess reading speed in normally sighted and visually impaired individuals. However, the IReST is used in rehabilitations settings across North America (NA) to assess reading speed despite not having been validated in an English- speaking NA sample. In addition to not having been validated in NA, the IReST has also not been validated in a sample of individuals with visual impairments; therefore the purpose of this thesis was to validate the English Language IReST in a NA sample, as well as examine the impact of a simulated visual impairment on reading speed on the IReST. As a high proportion of NA is bilingual, this thesis also examined the impact of language background and fluency on the IReST. Finally, as low vision rehabilitation specialists may not have received training on the administration of the IReST, there is the potential for administration errors; thus this thesis also examined the impact of improper administration on reading speeds on the IReST. The results of this the thesis found that: (1) the reading speeds of English-speaking NAs fell outside of the normative values of the UK English IReST; (2) simulated visual impairments significantly reduce reading speeds on the IReST; (3) assessing individuals in their non-dominant, yet fluent language, does not significantly impact reading speeds on the IReST; and (4) improper administration of the IReST significantly reduces measured reading speed on the IReST.