A phenomenological investigation into the impact of parenthood: Giving a voice to mothers with visual impairment in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Despite psychological support for parents increasing in prominence in recent UK public policy, there has been a minimal focus on parenting with a disability and specifically scant information on the experiences of what it is like to be a parent with visual impairment. Nine UK mothers, aged 32–47 years, each with a child under 10, were interviewed by telephone to examine how the experience of becoming a parent impacted them. Interview transcripts were examined using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). This article focuses on two meta-themes in the findings: (1) ‘struggles around independence’ and (2) ‘visibility and the impact of the other’s gaze’. They raise issues around both theory and practice of interest to those working in psychological services for people with visual impairment, including (1) the possibility of a new integrative model to conceptualise the experience of parenting with a disability and (2) the mothers’ daily experience of stigmatisation and marginalisation in interaction with the other.

A closer look at opportunities for blind adults: Impacts of stigmatization and ocularcentrism

“…Microaggressions are “everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership” (Sue, 2010, p. 3). Corroborating previous literature, our participants experienced enacted stigma, often in the form of microaggressions, that limited their opportunities, for example, in the areas of finding employment, engaging in leisure activities, and using technology (Berger et al, 2013; Hewett et al, 2017; Jessup et al, 2017; Mccarthy et al, 2017; Molden, 2014). Findings about interpersonal stigma lend empirical evidence for Goffman’s (1963) work, which addressed how social interaction can disrepute individuals who deviate from norms , in this case blind people who deviate from sighted norms.…”

“…Internalized stigma becomes evident, for example, when an individual hesitates to use outward markers of blindness (e.g., white cane) due to fear of stigma. Consistently encountering stigma from others causes individuals to avoid drawing attention to themselves so they may “avoid another’s stigmatising gaze” (Molden, 2014, p. 145). Participants’ stories demonstrate that although using a visible marker of blindness may enable opportunities, this comes at a cost sometimes deemed too high: stigmatization.…”

Support for infants and young people with sight loss: a qualitative study of sight impairment certification and referral to education and social care services

“… 8 During this critical period when an infant/child's VI is being diagnosed, parents state they want support to both accept their infant/child's sight loss and to learn how to maximise the remaining vision and develop adaptive skills. 9–11 However, research consistently finds parents do not receive this information from health professionals at an early stage, leaving parents frustrated 12 and children with delayed development. 13 14…”

Persons with certain functional impairments apply for parenting support: a study of personal assistance assessments in Sweden

“…For some parents, it could be difficult to talk about their needs for support in parenting as it might be a sensitive subject, for example, because of fear of being regarded as an inadequate parent. According to previous research, there are disabled parents who experience that they are more closely monitored and questioned than parents in general (Grue and Laerum 2002;Molden 2014;Swain and Cameron 2003).…”