Ableism and Mental Health of Young Adults with Visual Impairment: An Overview

Pages: 416-419
Joice Steffi Y., Gobinda Majhi, and Navaneetham Janardhana (Department of Psychiatric Social Work, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru Karnataka)

Ableism occurs when the society with a majority of people who are ‘typically developing’ cast perceptions that continue biases and myths, resulting in inequitable treatment of people with disability. Young adults with Visual Impairment (VI) have a distinct early life course trajectory either because they have no eye-sight during birth or lose it early in life. Their experiences and challenges are unique. This paper attempts to understand the concept of ableism, its different manifestations, the theoretical underpinnings, and how it affects the mental health of young adults with VI. The paper also highlights how ableism creeps into the everyday lives of people with disability and the urgent need to dismantle it.