@tony_cave Thank you for this info, I have visual field loss and have practiced on a teen track which has been helpful for building confidence after four years of no driving, I have spoken to others and after trying to reapply for an assessment after failing the first, the application is refused by DVLA unless your visual field had returned to normal. Not sure how long to leave it before I try for an assessment, they told me I need to be the best I can be.
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@tony_cave I noticed you didnāt get a chance to practice with an instructor for 4 months like they do now which probably would have been a massive help to you and me after not driving for so long, do you think you would like to try again if you could?
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There is provision for some people to be allowed to drive as disabled drivers .Such disabilities are usually physical and involve adaptation to the controls ,but they do allow people with only one eye to drive or people with a visual field defect provided that they can demonstrate that they can drive safely.
Understandably you will need to demonstrate that you can drive safely and to a high standard.
As regards improvement to your field of vision I can only advise that you have your visual field checked again by an optician with the right equipment. I found a branch of Specsavers in London that tested for DVLA so was able to have it tested to show stability of my defect .
I used to live in France where you can ride a moped from age 14 without a licence,or a low powered 2 seater type of car from age 21 without a licence .
so this problem does not exist although other drivers give these little cars a wide berth as they tend to be driven by elderly drivers or those who have lost their licence after drink driving etc
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Hello all, I posted this on another thread but reading these posts thought it may be helpful again ā¦ā¦. Imposted before about my stroke experience and the impact of homonymous hemianopia. The loss of my driving licence was devastating as I am a wheelchair user having been born with a congenital condition. My chair does not fit in cars unless they are adapted so has had a huge impact on my independence and work. Worst thing was when asking ophthalmologist / neuropathologist/ stroke consultant all said nothing I could do - impact was permanent. I began looking at current research re this and made contact with researchers at Liverpool Uni who shared some helpful papers with me. A few months later they contacted me to say a new research project was starting was I interested? So, I have joined. It consists of two sessions at liverpool Uni doing tests and having MRIs and inbetween the two sessions doing a 30 minute Virtual Reality session for six weeks in your own home ( at your own convenience). There is evidence that doing the exercises with non stroke patients improved acuity and brain plasticity (as I understand it from reading the paper). The most important thing is that it has given me some hope that it may improve things and I will be able to reapply for my driving licence. I fully understand there are no guarantees and it may not improve or to the degree I need, but I think at least I will have given it my best effort and am doing something pro-active. The researcher is looking for more people with hemianopia to join the trial to make it statistically significant. If you have hemianopia and could join the trial please think about doing so - as maybe this will lead to a meaningful therapy to support people in the future. If you want more information please contact the researcher at Liverpool University - f.al-harshan@liverpool.ac.uk. His name is Fahad and he is really friendly. Thanks for reading.
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Hi all just seen this in the news today thought it might interest some
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Good information Tony thanks
My peripheral vision has not come back yet to give me confidence that my annual test will pass to DVLA standard
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Four years on I can now see 72 lights out of a possible 120 lights but six months after my stroke I did a eye test and saw only 50 ish lights. My progress has slowed down but Iām hoping for more each time I go to spec savers. Still not enough for DVLA but I live in hope. My sight loss is just under half of each eye my right half being slightly worse than my left half
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I know the evidence is the more effort more progress on the neuroplasticity for physical movement and Iām pretty sure the same mechanisms operate other neurological areas so Iām hopeful that if you continue to put in effort youāll continue to make gains.
One thing is absolutely sure though: no effort equals no gain
onwards and upwards 
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Thankyou @SimonInEdinburgh I will keep trying and fighting for as much progress as I can get , I like everyone else just wish it didnāt have to be this way, but it is what it is. Thanks again
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I have been in touch but not sure if i want to travel to Liverpool ,will it do me any good to get to my goal of driving again ? I am considering this but not sure at this stage
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Same here I have contacted them but wondered how I would travel to Liverpool by myself, would like to take part. But a little hesitant about travelling on my own. I think itās a great thing if you are able to take part, hopefully it will help with future research and treatment for stroke survivors, best wishes
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Hi Sandra and Elle. I am going back next Friday, so if helpful, I can ask Fahad about what support may be available to help people travel. Would you, for example, be able to participate if they paid travel for you and a companion, or would you need a taxi? Not sure what the answer is but assuming there would be some support for that as part of the research. Let me know if that would be helpful. Will let you know how it goes for me. Thanks. Sue
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Hi @Smurf13 thatās kind of you, yes I did ask about some assistance and he said he would get back to me, itās not so much the cost as I think they would pay train fare but itās getting to and from and then to the hospital by myself. Thatās probably a lot to ask I think they might be better off with someone closer to Liverpool Iām quite far, if you do it through please let me know how bits going and if you have improvement, I wish you the very best
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He had already told me they would pay travel expenses ,i am from just outside London. but also not sure if i want the commitment,i know it will help future sufferers still undecided
You can take a taxi and they would pay
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@sandraplaskow thank you for finding this out that would make the things a little bit easier as it could take you straight to the hospital to have MRI then home. Many thanks
Sounds an interesting trial, Iāve been using the Luminosity app having heard of it via the Stroke Association, different exercises to stimulate different parts of the brain, on day four the exercise was to stimulate multiple areas to interact, it caused what i can only describe as a brain storm, it felt like my head was having its own firework display, never experienced anything like it before. Not sure if it was a good or bad thing, but i actually canāt remember what the exercise was at all! Apart from that no obvious signs of harm so am going to persist. What VR exercises are they doing with you, do let us know how it goes and what the exercises are
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Hi, I appreciate this is an old post. I have commented on this subject recently.
My answer is yes your vision can improve. 17 months on now. After about 8 months i noticed changes, seeing shadows to the left, now can see a wide peripheral vision although not perfectly clear. I know Iām capable of driving as Iāve driven on private land with no issues, but proving that to the DVLA is another matter, Howās it for you now?
Tske care.
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Back from my 2nd session at Liverpool. It took some dedication to do the vr training 30 times in between visits. The trips to Liverpool were helped by staying overnight.
Multimillion dollar question. Has my visual field improved? Answer I think itās slightly better. Tho itās not a cure; like apps online itās good to exercise.
Would I do it again? Yes Fahad was very helpful and the MRI was peaceful even while doing the tests while being scanned.
This morning I checked my visual field using Eyescream Visual Field Analyser; which is a free download. Compared to my earlier results it does show an improvement in sensitivity but generally the same pattern of impairment.
Summary, the tests back up what I think. Slight improvement. Based I believe in exercising via the vr app in a dedicated way. If considering helping with the research Fahad still has places.
Thanks for recommending participation in this research.
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