Strategies for Addressing the Special Needs of People with Visual Impairments During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Jondani, Javad Abbasi

doi:10.1177/0145482x211014334

Cited by 12 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…It is not clear whether the decreased activity was due to a lack of confidence in their own ability or that of parents or professionals. Consistent with this suggestion, Jondani (2021) identified how adults with visual impairments were more susceptible to experiencing negative health and psychological consequences from the COVID-19 pandemic. Some adults reported that they did not seek assistance in unsafe situations due to feeling embarrassment or shame for not being able to cope with the circumstances.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 55%

Orientation and Mobility During COVID-19 and the Effect on Psychosocial Functioning

Kaiser

Fast

DeGrant

et al. 2022

Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness

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Introduction: This research explored the psychosocial effects observed during the COVID-19 pandemic as it relates to orientation and mobility (O&M) services for children with visual impairments. The survey asked professionals to identify what were their experiences in providing O&M instruction in-person and online and to describe their interactions with students and families during the fall of 2020. Methods: The online survey results included open-ended responses from 166 O&M specialists. The authors used thematic analysis to examine and code participants’ qualitative responses. Results: Psychological and social effects were identified as a major theme across the participants for how they affected an individual's health, well-being, and ability to complete aspects of O&M lessons. Professionals were challenged with providing appropriate instruction given the risks associated with COVID. Additionally, children with visual impairments became more isolated and less physically active over time. Discussion: Professionals, students, and parents often placed their concerns aside with the idea that changes to O&M services were a temporary measure with the student's best interest in mind. As the pandemic became prolonged, the effects on individuals became more pronounced. Implications for Practitioners: These circumstances raise many questions about the effectiveness of virtual instruction in O&M and its effect on professionals, students, and families. The importance of O&M becomes much more evident when considering the isolation many students experienced as a result of quarantine events.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 55%

Orientation and Mobility During COVID-19 and the Effect on Psychosocial Functioning

Kaiser

Fast

DeGrant

et al. 2022

Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness

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“…These strategies can increase the mental well-being of people with various disabilities, which could also be observed in international studies on the importance of coping (Park et al 2020;Umucu & Lee 2020). Several studies have also examined the situation during the Covid-19 pandemic for people with visual impairments and have found an increased risk of loneliness, social isolation and vulnerability (Gombas & Csakvari 2021;Halpern et al 2021;Jondani 2021;Kim & Sutharson 2021;Lundälv et al 2021a;Rosenblum 2020).…”

Section: Coping Strategiesmentioning

confidence: 82%

Covid-19 Pandemic Coping Strategies in a Complex Landscape of Crisis Communication: A Participatory Study with Disability Organisations in Sweden

Lundälv

Nilsson

Eriksson

2022

Baltic Screen Media Review

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The article challenges the notion that crisis communication is a matter of outreach of a single message communicated as “one voice” from official channels speaking to the public about how to prepare for and manage crisis situations. The Covid-19 pandemic has made it evident that the general public is accessing multiple channels for crisis information while the crisis situation, the rules and knowledge are constantly changing. An array of different voices, facts, (fake) news and recommendations are channeled via public service, social media, national and international media. Most of this content is accessed and shared via digital channels, but also via communities, workplaces, and between friends and families living in the same country or abroad. This article presents insights gained from a qualitative study addressing disabled people whose everyday lives have always been characterized by extraordinary circumstances, and continuously so also during the Covid-19 pandemic. The aim was to create an understanding of disabled people’s crisis-specific media practices and their ways of coping with situations caused by the pandemic. Through a national online survey study and workshops, it explores how disabled people experience the pandemic, and how crisis information flows affect trust between authorities and the disability movements. The study should be read in the light of the Swedish Covid-19 strategy, which put a strong emphasis on the individual’s responsibility and that every citizen is expected to follow the recommendations and take precautionary measures to limit the spread of the virus. This approach requires that both public agencies and citizens are capable of navigating the emerging complex crisis communication landscape and requires them to make responsible decisions and take relevant measures.

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“…These findings suggest the need to develop support when human mobility is acutely limited. Also, the combination of reduced mobility and its impact on mental and physical health (Abbasi Jondani, 2021, Ting et al, 2021 with previous knowledge of reduced social participation and increased social exclusion of people with BVI (Nyman et al, 2010;Salminen and Karhula, 2014;Stevelink and Fear, 2016) creates complex challenges for people with BVI.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the period since the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, some attention has been paid to people with BVI, and some research has been conducted on the impact of the pandemic on people with BVI in performing daily activities based on independent mobility. Abbasi Jondani (2021) refers to difficulties in implementing strategies against COVID-19 (access to information on prevention strategies; wearing a mask and hand hygiene; social distancing). Martinez et al (2020), Rizzo et al (2021), and Suraweera et al (2021) emphasise potential difficulties in collecting environmental information during mobility and daily activities of people with BVI by strictly following epidemiological measures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19 Effect on Everyday Mobility of Different Demographic Groups of People with Blindness and Visual Impairment

SIKIRIĆ¹,

FABAC²

2022

JRTDD

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Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic imposed some challenges on the mobility of people with blindness and visual impairment (BVI). Compliance with social distance epidemiological guidelines proved to be especially troublesome for those with BVI. Objective: The goal of this research was to determine the differences between specific demographic groups of people with BVI before and during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in everyday mobility, to identify the groups most affected. Methods: Forty-five people with BVI members of the Croatian Blind Union completed the questionnaire describing their pre-pandemic and lockdown independent everyday mobility activity frequencies on a 5-point Likert scale along with demographic questions in May 2020. Wilcoxon signed ranks test and paired samples t-test were used to test differences before and during the pandemic lockdown on average scale results for demographic groups. Results: A decline in independent everyday mobility between before and during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown was shown for the total sample of people with BVI. When considering demographic groups both those with blindness and low vision, non-married and married, females, participants living in apartments, employed and unemployed participants, and participants living in a household with two members showed a statistically significant decline in independence during the pandemic. Males, retired participants, and participants older than 40, living alone in a house did not show a statistically significant decline. Conclusion: The decline in mobility functioning implies possible long-term effects of the pandemic lockdown on specific groups of people with BVI and additional support needed after the lockdown and the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Strategies for Addressing the Special Needs of People with Visual Impairments During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Cited by 12 publications

References 16 publications

Orientation and Mobility During COVID-19 and the Effect on Psychosocial Functioning

Orientation and Mobility During COVID-19 and the Effect on Psychosocial Functioning

Covid-19 Pandemic Coping Strategies in a Complex Landscape of Crisis Communication: A Participatory Study with Disability Organisations in Sweden

COVID-19 Effect on Everyday Mobility of Different Demographic Groups of People with Blindness and Visual Impairment

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