Navigating the grey areas of life: exploring the lived experiences of children and adolescents with visual impairment.

Abstract

This study explored how young people (YP) represent and interpret visual impairment (VI) in their daily lives, and how they construct meaning around it within their own environment. We recruited 13 YP (aged 9 to 18 years) with low vision and conducted individual semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. We captured how YP perceive, describe and position themselves in relation to their VI. The results illustrate two analytic dimensions of these representations: (1) how participants view themselves now and in the future, and (2) how these perceptions are influenced and negotiated within relational and societal environments. Within each dimension, subthemes present the experiential meanings derived from participants' accounts. These subthemes and their interrelations were visualized with a causal loop diagram. To conclude, most YP did not identify as disabled, despite using compensation strategies and requiring adjustments in daily life. However, the extent to which they experienced VI as hindering or challenging varied, depending in part on interactions with others and the broader societal representation of VI.