Leisure in persons with vision impairment

Abstract

Purpose: Vision impairment can affect various areas of life. The aim of this research was to determine the extent to which adults with vision impairment engage in leisure activities and the quality of that engagement.

Method: The research included 78 participants with blindness, and 48 with low vision 19-60 years of age (M = 36.01; SD = 11.81). The subtest Leisure, from the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System II - ABAS II, was used for leisure time assessment.

Results: The mean value of the results on the Leisure subtest fell within the average category. A statistically significant relationship was established between our respondents' achievements and: a) their vision status (p = 0.05); b) how well-informed they considered themselves to be about their vision impairment (p = 0.030); and c) their living arrangement (p = 0.021).

Conclusion: The results indicated the need for more comprehensive analysis of the circumstances which determine how well-informed the vision impaired have about their own condition (motivation, information availability, etc.) and the dynamics of family and other social relations, when designing support programs for people with vision impairment.

Keywords: Blindness; Leisure; Low vision; Vision impairment.