The purpose of this study was to examine the structure of active social networks of individuals with visual impairments, the social support they receive from their social networks, and their satisfaction from received support. In addition, we examined these factors as predictors of happiness in people with visual impairments. A total of 96 individuals with visual impairments, who ranged in age from 16 to 50, participated in this study. Three self-constructed questionnaires, which included questions related to demographic data, social networks, social support, and happiness, were used in the study. Participants reported being satisfied with received support, and they also appeared to receive more positive than negative support. Findings also demonstrated the merit of social support for the happiness of individuals with visual impairments.
Individuals with visual impairment face significant challenges traveling in the physical environment. Independent movement is directly connected to the quality of someone's life, and thus, orientation and mobility issues are always listed among the top priorities of research in the field. The aim of the present research was to examine the level of accuracy of the cognitive map developed through the use of a verbal description versus the cognitive map developed using an audio-tactile map. A comparison of the effectiveness of the two mobility aids in detecting specific points of interest in the physical environment was an objective of the research. The procedure involved the study of a map using the two mobility aids, and an assessment through the transfer to the corresponding physical environment. The results suggest that an individual with visual impairment can acquire and use a functional cognitive map through the use of an audio-tactile map, while relying on a verbal description entails greater difficulty in detecting specific points of interest when he/she comes into the physical environment.
Disorientation and inability of wayfinding are phenomena with a great frequency for individuals with visual impairments during the process of travelling novel environments. Orientation and mobility aids could suggest important tools for the preparation of a more secure and cognitively mapped travelling. The aim of the present study was to examine if spatial knowledge structured after an individual with blindness had studied the map of an urban area that was delivered through a verbal description, an audio-tactile map or an audio-haptic map, could be used for detecting in the area specific points of interest. The effectiveness of the three aids with reference to each other was also examined. The results of the present study highlight the effectiveness of the audio-tactile and the audio-haptic maps as orientation and mobility aids, especially when these are compared to verbal descriptions.
The aim of this study is to examine the ability of children and adolescents with visual impairments to code and represent near space. Moreover, it examines the impact of the strategies they use and individual differences in their performance. A total of 30 individuals with visual impairments up to the age of 18 were given eight different object patterns in different arrays and were asked to code and represent each of them. The results revealed better performances by those who use an allocentric approach during spatial coding and those with residual vision. In fact, allocentric strategies were more prevalent in coding near space than egocentric ones. Moreover, the ability of participants to move independently was positively correlated with their ability to use the most effective haptic strategies. These findings suggest that children and adolescents with visual impairments are capable of using allocentric reference and providing a different perspective to the currently dominant one.
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