An Exploratory Assessment of Self-Reported Satisfaction with Infrastructure and Out-of-Home Activities for People with Vision Impairments

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess the satisfaction levels of people with VI with regard to infrastructure and outdoor activities. Furthermore, this study aims to develop an assessment model for the levels of difficulty in using public transport. Methods: Participants in a standardized survey questionnaire included 74 participants with VI. Three assessment-ordered probit models were estimated based on self-reported responses. Results: Estimation results revealed that the use of public transport is extremely difficult for 83.47% of older participants. In addition, 84.2% of people with albinism have extreme difficulty using public transport. Furthermore, 53.98% of people with restricted horizontal and vertical fields face extreme difficulty using public transport. There was dissatisfaction with outdoor activities among 97.40% of people with macular disease. The results show that 51.70% of people with normal or near-normal horizontal visual fields and restricted vertical planes are satisfied with their level of outdoor activity while 72.65% of people with retinal diseases expressed dissatisfaction with the existing infrastructure. Conclusion: This study revealed that the experiences of people with VI are heterogeneous and depend on their eye condition, access to assistive technology, and socioeconomic characteristics. Results clearly show evidence of heterogeneity among individuals with VI. The combination of horizontal and vertical restrictions yields random parameters, underscoring the heterogeneous experiences of people with VI, influenced by their eye condition and access to assistive devices. Our results have important implications for developing targeted interventions to enhance the mobility of people with VI.