Public awareness of visual impairment in the UK remains limited, with over a third of people with a visual impairment reporting discrimination because of their condition. This PhD project explores how the UK public understands visual impairment, examining the attitudes and stigma that shape everyday interactions and how these might be challenged. Drawing on Social Psychology and wider Disability Studies, the project aims to offer a new way of educating the public through Virtual Reality.
The project combines quantitative and qualitative approaches across a series of linked studies. A mixed-methods systematic review brings together existing evidence on public perceptions of visual impairment, followed by a large-scale survey pairing adapted attitudinal measures with Qualitative Story Completion to capture both attitudes and that narratives people draw on when imagining visual impairment. Interviews with individuals with lived experience, the organisations that support them, and key stakeholders who would use and benefit from educational tools will highlight overlooked everyday challenges and misconceptions. These insights will directly shape the development of Virtual Reality simulations built in Unity, designed to test whether immersive learning can influence public awareness and attitudes toward people with visual impairments. Ultimately, the project aims to reduce stigma by providing evidence-based educational tools that can be used by organisations, educators, and the wider public to foster more inclusive communities for people with visual impairments.
