Low Vision Clinic Staff

Barry S. Kran, O.D., F.A.A.O. Since 2001, Dr Kran has been the Optometric Director of the New England Eye Low Vision Clinic at Perkins. In 2004 he was appointed Chief of the Individuals with Disabilities Service of the New England Eye Institute (NEEI). The service is currently meeting the needs of children and adults in hospital, clinic and school based clinics. NEEI is the clinical arm of the New England College of Optometry where he enjoys the rank of Associate Professor of Optometry and an Instructor of Record of a course.

He graduated from the State University of New State College of Optometry where he also completed a residency program. Dr Kran has been in various practice settings (private, hospital based), consulted at a state institution for individuals who are intellectually and developmentally delayed and has lectured nationally and internationally on issues of binocular vision and the evaluation of individuals with visual and other impairments. Dr Kran is a member of American Optometric Association, American Academy of Optometry and is very active in Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired. Current research interests include the determination of the most appropriate techniques to be used when assessing visual function for this diverse population of individuals with disabilities.

Darick Wright, M.A., CLVT, COMS is the Coordinator of the New England Eye Low Vision Clinic at Perkins, Adjunct Faculty at UMass-Boston, and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Vision Rehabilitation at the New England College of Optometry. He holds a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation for the Blind and specialization in Orientation and Mobility. He has worked in the Boston area since 1996 and prior to that was full-time faculty at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He is an active member of the Associate for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AERBVI) and has served in a variety of regional and international leadership positions. Throughout the last 25 years, Darick has taught and lectured nationally and internationally on topics related to visual impairment.

Donna Bent, CAES, COMS, CLVT is a teacher of the visually impaired and is a certified orientation and mobility specialist/low vision therapist. She is an orientation and mobility specialist in the Deafblind Program at Perkins School for the Blind and joins the clinic staff 1 day each week. Donna brings to us many years of experience as a vision-educator and is also actively involved in the Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AERBVI) and has lectured nationally on topics related to vision loss and Deafblindness.

D. Luisa Mayer, Ph.D., M.Ed. is a vision scientist and an internationally recognized expert in visual field testing of children and individuals with multiple impairments. Previously Dr. Mayer was in practice at Boston Children's Hospital and is currently on faculty at New England College of Optometry and New England Eye Institute.

Sujata Russell is the Clinic Secretary and recently moved to the Boston area from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In the past, she has worked in other eye clinics, customer service for the airline industry, and is active in community theatre and her church. She is responsible for coordinating the clinic office and scheduling all appointments.