Purpose  To develop a clinically useful performance-based measure of the ability to perform visually-related activities.
Methods  Patients with glaucoma and subjects with a normal ocular examination completed a 9-item performance-based test (the Assessment of Ability Related to Vision (AARV)), received a standard ophthalmic clinical examination, and answered the questions on the National Eye Institute’s Visual Functioning Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25). 
Results  The correlation of 4 items test (detecting motion, reading signs, finding objects and navigating an obstacle course) reduced test time from 60±5 minutes to 14±4 minutes and yielded results highly related to the 9-item test, including maintaining the relationship to clinical measures and to the VFQ-25.
Conclusion  A compressed AARV correlates highly with the full test, with a method of evaluating quality of life, and with clinical measures, yet takes on average 14 minutes to perform.  As such, it may provide a clinically useful method of evaluating the worsening effects of illness and the benefits of treatments that affect visual loss on the ability to perform visually-related activities.