COVID-19 Pandemic: Experiences of People with Visual Impairment.
María Del Pilar Oviedo-Cáceres, Karen Natalia Arias-Pineda, María Del Rosario Yepes-Camacho and 1 others
PMID 33687813WHAT IT FOUND
People with visual impairment described pandemic isolation as both a chance to strengthen family ties and a loss of work, mobility, and independence.
They relied on technology, but gaps in devices, training, and accessible platforms limited its help.
Key findings
01Participants described changes in individual and family life, including strengthened family time for some and loss of work or income for others.
02Mobility and public transport became harder because social distancing, avoiding surfaces, and scarce help reduced independent movement.
03Technology helped some continue education, work, and exercise, but lack of devices, internet, and accessible platforms prevented others.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study was exploratory and qualitative, so it describes experiences rather than measuring outcomes or effects. Only 26 adults from four Colombian cities were included, selected intentionally, so the findings may not apply to other people with visual impairment or other countries. Telephone interviews during pandemic restrictions may have missed people without phone access or those too isolated to respond. The paper did not report how many participants lost work, how many used technology, or whether themes differed by city, so the findings cannot be quantified. Participants were asked about confinement experiences, and the authors state no differentiating findings by cultural or city issues, but the small purposive sample limits transferability.
Declared interests
The paper reports that the project was co-funded by the National Institute for the Blind and Universidad Santo Tomás in Bucaramanga.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that digital access solved the problem for all people with visual impairment. Some participants used screen readers and online platforms, but others lacked devices, internet, training, or accessible platforms, so technology helped unevenly.