Individuals with visual impairment may choose to use a mobility scooter for
meaningful community mobility. This study investigated what self-regulation
strategies older adults with visual impairment employed to ensure effective
mobility scooter use.
Method
This interpretive description study used multiple methods, including
participant observation and semi-structured interviews. Among the 15
participants, a variety of visual impairments was represented.
Results
Participants described the various reasons for getting a scooter. They also
detailed risks and barriers that warranted self-regulation strategies
including the environment, the visual impairment and the attitudinal
approaches.
Conclusion
Barriers to community participation are common for people with visual
impairment. This study adds detailed accounts of strategies for the
competent management of such barriers using self-regulation practices. These
practices can be applied in the community to maintain/improve infrastructure
accessibility, address public understanding of scooter use and educate
individuals with visual impairment of strategies to improve their scooter
use.
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