The Impact of Mobility and Public Transport on the Independence of Visually Impaired People

Abstract

This study, carried out by the Edinburgh Visual Impairment Research Group with outpatients of the Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion (Edinburgh, Scotland), focuses on the relationship between low vision, travel behaviour, and quality-of-life issues. The study was part of a wider investigation into the functional and quality-of-life benefits of cataract surgery for patients with age-related macular degeneration. Each patient was asked to complete a travel diary for the previous week and answer a mobility questionnaire as part of an interview session.The aim of the study was to identify the personal, environmental, and transportation factors that have an impact on visually impaired people's mobility and independence. The analysis has demonstrated that there are different subgroups of patients with different patterns of travel behaviour. While aspects of the built environment and transport system such as controlled road crossings and location of bus stops play an important role in determining the travel behaviour of visually impaired people, there is a personal factor involving a combination of age and vision in the better eye that best explains the travel behaviour patterns of visually impaired people.

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