Holly Stants, MS, OTR/L, SCLV, CLVT is an occupational therapist and clinical interventionist with expertise in functional outcomes measurement, quality improvement and low vision intervention for people with blindness and low vision and other comorbid conditions. She is also appointed as adjunct faculty for the department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Pittsburgh.
Stants also has extensive experience as an occupational therapy practice leader and quality improvement project leader in the long-term care, inpatient rehabilitation and outpatient settings including the low vision rehabilitation setting. She also promotes learning as a guest lecturer for local universities including Chatham, Carnegie Mellon, Saint Francis and Slippery Rock.
Stants received her BS in Occupational Therapy from University of Pittsburgh and Master of Science degree with an emphasis in low vision from University of Alabama, Birmingham UAB. Stants holds nationally recognized specialty certificates in Low Vision from the American Occupational Therapy Association and Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation & Education Professionals, as well UAB’s graduate certificate in low vision rehabilitation. She is also a recipient of the 2021 UPMC Senior Services Community Provide Services People’s Choice Award for her leadership in the advancement of low vision telerehabilitation, as well as received the Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association Award of Recognition for her work with the PennDOT medical review board on developing the bi-optic driving practice.
Stants is the Low Vision Rehab Team Leader in Centers for Rehab Services. With her expertise in low vision rehabilitation, she partners with many principal investigators in Pittsburgh Low Vision Research Collaborative and services as an interventionist in research studies involving vision restoration technologies or electronic digital head-mounted magnification systems to improve visual performance or functional vision in participants with moderate to profound vision loss (e.g., end-stage age-related macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa).
Current Project(s):
Co-Investigator, Smart Speaker Training
Fun Tech Fact Questions & Answers:
Q: Mainstream tech device you can’t live without?
A: None. Why? While I like technology, I am working with it each and every day; I like to shut it off to find my inner peace. Really, I would have to say my Apple iPhone 12 – largest one they make. I find it to be a useful tool on many levels-including keeping me organized and time sensitive.
Q: What was your first cell phone?
A: Large bag phone, cannot recall name? Motorola? I grew up using CB (citizen band radios). For me, I think this was the original “cell phone” I used in the 1970’s.
Q: What mainstream tech device is at the top of your wish list?
A: Talking stove.