Orientation and Mobility Problems of Adults with Visual Impairment and Suggestions for Solutions

Abstract

This research aims to identify the main problems experienced by adults with visual impairments regarding the use and accessibility of orientation and mobility skills and offer solutions for these problems. For this purpose, the knowledge of individuals with visual impairment on orientation and mobility skills and the problems they experience while using these skills and using public transport were discussed. Additionally, the skills they most need and want to learn, and the environment, people, and teaching style they want when being taught these skills were examined in detail according to the participants’ opinions. In the study, phenomenology design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used. 17 adults participated in the research, which would provide the most diversity for demographic information such as age, gender, and educational status. The research data were collected with the interview form tool consisting of semi-structured questions. The interviews were deciphered and transferred to the MAXQDA program, which is a computer-aided qualitative data analysis program for analysis. The descriptive analysis method was used in the analysis of the obtained data. As a result of the study, it was found that the level of education in orientation and mobility is quite low and they need to be trained. They suffer accidents due to lack of education, architectural/environmental precautions, inadequacy of measures taken for transportation, lack of assistive technology, attitude of people and lack of training of sighted guides. O&M programs can be developed for adults that include various indoor and outdoor routes and using transport.