COVID-19 and vision impairment: Constraints negotiation, participation, and well-being during lockdown in the United Kingdom

Sensory impairment and depressive symptoms among older adults before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

OBJECTIVES

This study examined the associations between sensory impairment (SI), lack of social contact during the COVID-19 pandemic, and depressive symptoms among Americans aged 50 and above.

METHODS

We employed data from the 2018 and 2020 Health and Retirement Study (N = 13,460) to examine four SI groups: no SI, visual impairment (VI) only, hearing impairment (HI) only, and dual sensory impairment (DSI). First, multilevel models were employed to estimate the associations between SI and depressive symptoms before and during the pandemic using the full dataset (N = 13,460). Second, linear regression models were employed to estimate the moderation effect of lack of social contact during the pandemic using the 2020 wave data only (N = 4,133).

RESULTS

Among older adults, 15.60% had VI only, 10.16% had HI only, and 9.66% had DSI. All SI groups reported significantly more depressive symptoms than the no SI group. The differences between older adults with VI and DSI and those without SI regarding depressive symptoms narrowed during the pandemic. There was no statistically significant moderation effect of lack of social contact for SI and depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSION

Older adults with SI faced mental health challenges and demonstrated psychological resilience during the pandemic. Future research should examine other risk factors that may modify the relationship between SI and mental health during public health crises.

Living in an untouchable world: Barriers to recreation and tourism for Portuguese blind people during the COVID-19 pandemic

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic having affected the lives of all citizens, some groups, as people with disabilities (PwD), have felt its effects more intensely, specifically due to social distancing measures adopted. However, PwD are a heterogeneous group and the impacts of COVID-19 are, therefore, experienced differently. Blind people (BP) face considerable challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, since they "access the world" through touch, something strongly discouraged in order to control the spread of the virus. Nevertheless, no studies are known which analyze the constraints experienced by BP during COVID-19 on participating in recreation and tourism activities. To extend knowledge in this field, the intention of this study is to examine the constraints faced by BP during COVID-19 on participation in outdoor recreation and tourism activities and the strategies used to overcome these constraints. A qualitative methodology (in-depth interviews with BP) was used. The results reveal that during the COVID-19 pandemic, BP faced several constraints that made their participation in outdoor recreation and tourism activities difficult. The paper ends with a discussion of the strategies used by BP to overcome these constraints.

Management implications

Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on the recreation and tourism practices of blind people, and the constraints that they face as a consequence of this pandemic, this study provides relevant implications managers for public and private tourism supply agents. Therefore, managers and planners can use the findings of this study to design strategies to overcome the strong constraints faced by blind people due to the COVID-19 pandemic, to minimize risk exposure and to increase their quality of life. Thus, the type of activities offered and the marketing strategy should be rethought to increase the engagement of blind people in recreation and tourism experiences in an "untouchable world."