Occupational Therapist Certified in Adult Vision Rehabilitation (OTCAVR™)

In the next five years, North America is expected to have 9.5 million adults with visual impairment, with prevalence and annual incidence rates steadily increasing. This growth means more individuals will live with permanent vision impairment for longer periods, yet there are fewer than 5000 ACVREP certified professionals in North America to serve this population as of June 16, 2026. The current shortage makes it critical to increase the number of qualified professionals who can provide services to those with vision loss. Without action, it is likely that a significant number of adults with vision loss will remain unserved.

ACVREP recognized that occupational therapists are already providing vision rehabilitation services in the healthcare system and starting to work in the non-profit organizations serving adults who are blinds or have vision impairments. ACVREP's new certification, Occupational Therapist Certified in Adult Rehabilitation (OTCAVR), is specifically for OTs working with or wanting to work with adults who have visual impairments or blindness. The term 'visual impairments' was intentionally chosen to encompass a broad spectrum of severity, from low vision through blindness, typically caused by disease, neurologic injury and/or aging.

OTCAVR represents a specialist level of education and training distinct from generalist OT practitioners who are equipped with broad skills applicable to various conditions. This certification is intended for OT practitioners who can demonstrate knowledge and advanced training on specialized assessment techniques, tailored interventions, and collaborative strategies designed to meet the unique needs of individuals with visual impairments or blindness. Certification candidates will need to meet rigorous requirements and pass a comprehensive exam based on the Body of Knowledge and applied skills, ensuring their ability to support individuals with vision loss effectively.

This certification has the support of American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).

 

OTCAVR Certification Handbook

Click here to download the Certification Handbook in Microsoft Word format

1. Create an Account

Create an account on the ACVREP website.

2. Apply for Eligibility

Log into your account and click on the link for Apply for Eligibility

ACVREP is currently only accepting applications for those who are Eligible to take the Beta Exam. That Eligibility Criteria is as follows:

All of the following criteria are eligible to take the OTCAVRs beta exam.

1. Occupational therapists who have graduated from an accredited or World Federation of OT (WFOT) affiliated university evidenced by an official transcript confirming degree sent directly from institution to ACVREP.
2. Active certification by ACVREP as a CVRT, COMS, or CLVT or by AOTA as a SCLV or have completed a minimum of a university graduate certificate in vision rehabilitation. Proof of AOTA SCLV requires applicant forward copy of official AOTA certification document. Proof of university degree should be by an official transcript confirming degree sent directly from institution to ACVREP.
3. Have completed combined 2000 hours of practice working with individuals with vision impairments ranging from low vision, profound vision impairment/blindness, and neurological vision impairment. A strong letter of recommendation must verify the 2000 hours of practice experience working in the field from an employer(s)/organization(s) which service has been provided in the past 5 years.

Allow 5 days for ACVREP to review your application to determine it is complete. If there is missing documentation you will be notified by email that we are requesting missing information.

Once you have been declared Eligible you will receive a notification that your status has changed.

3. Schedule Your Exam

If you have been declared Eligible you are currently only able to register for the BETA Exam. The BETA exam will contain 251 questions to be tested to determine which 150 questions will appear on the final exam. You will need to answer all of the questions on the beta, but once the final 150 questions are determined, your pass/fail will only be based on the performance on those final 150 questions. If you elect to take the beta exam, since it is a longer exam, you will be charged for only one take of the exam at a cost of $245.

If you do not pass the beta and wish to take the final exam in order to proceed to certification you will need to pay another $245 so that your total cost would be the current $490 cost for two takes of a certification exam.

In order to register for the BETA exam follow the steps below:

1. Log into your online ACVREP account
2. Select the "Schedule Your Exam" link to the right of the page. This will take you to the examination options. Select the appropriate certification exam that you are applying for.
3. Once you have selected the appropriate exam, fill in the requested Exam Registration Form.
   
   
   1. If You Do Not Require Accommodations nor Private Proctoring

      If you do not require accommodations nor a privately proctored exam, on the Payment Confirmation page you will be provided a link to create/log into your account on the Webassessor test taker platform. The payment page will also include the Exam Scheduling Test Taker Voucher Code that you will need to use to schedule your exam on the Webassessor website.

      You will receive an automatic email confirmation of your scheduled date, time and location. Review the information carefully and let ACVREP know if there are any problems.

   2. If You Require Accommodations or Private Proctoring

      If you check the box on the Exam Registration form indicating that you either need accommodations or a privately proctored exam you will be asked to provide three (3) preferred dates, times and locations.

      You will also need to create a Test Taker Account. Please click on the link. ACVREP will not be able to schedule your exam until you create this account.

      The Certificate Services Specialist will then contact you to make arrangements for scheduling your exam. Please allow seven business days for ACVREP to process your request and provide you with a confirmation of location, date and time.

      If you need special accommodations for your exam, please upload the appropriate required document from a physician or school counselor as to your need for accommodations. ACVREP cannot schedule you for the exam until all supporting documents have been received. Upon review of your accommodations request, ACVREP will notify you of the accommodated exam procedures.

4. Apply For Certification

Once you have been notified that you have passed the exam you will be able to log into your online account with ACVREP and apply for certification using the Apply for Certification link.

Allow 5 business days for ACVREP to review your application to determine it is complete.

If there is missing documentation you will be notified by email that we are requesting missing information. Once you have been Certified you will receive a notification that your status has changed.

Once you have been certified a digital copy of your certificate will be placed in the My Documents section of your account. Allow up to 14 days from Certification to receive your original certificate through the mail.

Apply

Create your account in the ACVREP database and complete the online application.

Register/Apply For Eligibility