Blind spots the communicative performance of visual impairment in relationships and social interaction

Synopsis

"The purpose of this book is to understand the experiences of persons who are visually impaired, including those who are invisibly visually impaired. Through the use of a survey questionnaire and interviews and employing a cross-sectional survey design, the study examines the experiences of a large number of visually impaired respondents. The research largely examines how visual impairment affects the "performance" of the visually impaired "actor" in relationships and social interaction. To perform successfully, the visually impaired actor must be able to adapt to and perform competently within his or her assigned role, establish and maintain mutually satisfying relationships with other social actors, and know how to prepare for and manage the potential responses of the audience. The author employs a social performance perspective to examine how a visual impairment affects the individual's self-concept, ability to initiate and maintain satisfying relationships, and interact successfully, The appendix contains a wealth of supplementary information, including the actual survey instrument and its rationale, the theoretical model guiding the survey research, the interview procedures and protocol, and the correlation matrix. This text will be a valuable resource to visually impaired individuals, their families, and professionals who work with them. It also will serve as a useful text in graduate and undergraduate courses in disability issues."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved