Empowerment is crucial for eliciting designer empathy. This research explores a distinctive integration of empathic modelling and role-play, termed Empathic Empowerment. Through a qualitative study, this research introduces a novel evaluation system, entitled the Empathic Empowerment Scale, designed to support the optimal level of designer empathy in a situated interaction drawn from habitual user experiences. The goal of this research is to empower designers to create the next generation of human-oriented solutions with enhanced inclusivity and social value, through practical experiences.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a chronic, progressive eye condition that can affect individuals in later life and lead to loss of central visual function. In this analysis, we aimed to explore the discursive landscape of talk about AMD, drawing on extracts published in peer-reviewed qualitative studies on AMD. Drawing on procedures of qualitative meta-synthesis, we compiled a corpus of raw data extracts from 25 qualitative studies on AMD published in English, largely carried out in high-income countries. Extracts were analysed to identify dominant discourses and key interpretative repertoires (such as recurring metaphors, tropes and figures of speech). We adopted a Foucauldian discourse analytic approach, to consider the implications of dominant discourses, and their associated subject positions, for the subjective experience of living with AMD. Our analysis identified five distinct ways in which AMD was constructed in research participants' talk about experiences of AMD. They included: AMD as a mysterious affliction, linked to biological ageing; AMD as a total loss of independence; AMD as grievous loss; AMD as a condition to be stoically accepted; and – to a more limited extent – AMD as an opportunity for discovery. Drawing on theory from critical disability studies and gerontology, we suggest that the constructions identified are underpinned by broader societal discourses which construct ageing and disability in largely negative, medicalised and individualistic terms. Taking up subject positions within such discourses may compound feelings of isolation, hopelessness and powerlessness. We suggest there may be value in exploring talk about experiences of living with AMD within a broader range of everyday social, relational and environmental contexts.

Poststroke visual impairment (VI) negatively affects rehabilitation potential and quality of life for stroke survivors. In this cross-sectional observational study, stroke survivors and providers were surveyed to quantify perspectives regarding care for poststroke VI in Alberta, Canada (n = 46 survivors; n = 87 providers). Few patients (35%) felt prepared to cope with VI at the time of discharge from acute stroke and inpatient rehabilitation settings. Less than 25% of stroke survivors, and <16% of providers, felt referral processes were adequate. 95.2% of providers and 82% of stroke survivors advocated for a provincial clinical pathway to improve care quality for poststroke VI.

Much has been written on the theory that congenital blindness might protect against schizophrenia, but proof remains elusive. It has been suggested that visual ability might be associated with schizophrenia in a bell-shaped distribution, with both lifelong absent and perfect vision being protective. Alternatively, ocular aberrations and schizophrenia may share an aetiology. Any neuronal pathology implicated in schizophrenia could affect the retina, since it is an embryological extension of the brain. The retina is more amenable to direct imaging than other parts of the central nervous system and may give unique insights into schizophrenia-associated neuropathology. It is also possible that psychosis causes visual impairment: people with psychotic illnesses are probably not accessing optical care optimally and have higher levels of risk factors for visual loss.

The Charles Bonnet syndrome is characterized by the occurrence of visual hallucinations in elderly people, but without any mental disorders. Two clinical cases are described. An etiological and physiopathological theory is proposed, based on vascular pathology, lack of visual stimulation and a psychodynamic component.

Globally, a high prevalence of obesity and undernutrition has been reported in people with visual impairment (VI) who have reported multi-factorial obstacles that prevent them from achieving a healthy diet, such as having restricted shopping and cooking abilities. The present study is the first to investigate the relationship between VI and dietary consumption using a representative sample size, standardised methods to categorise VI and a detailed analysis of dietary consumption. Ninety-six participants with VI and an age-matched control group of fifty participants were recruited from across the UK. All participants were aged 50 years or over. The participants completed a 24-h food recall for a period of 3 d. The participants also answered questions about their abilities to shop for and cook food as well as their knowledge of healthy eating. The participants with VI in this sample consumed significantly fewer energy content and other nutrients than is recommended for their age group and when compared with an age-matched control group. The participants with VI mainly made food choices irrespective of nutritional value. The results of the present study highlight for the first time that a large proportion of older adults with VI in the UK are undernourished. These results suggest local and government-led initiatives should be implemented to support the diets of older adults in the UK, and these initiatives could include healthy eating workshops, café clubs or skills training and rehabilitation.

Accessibility to buildings promotes social participation through the application of inclusive design. However, architectural frameworks for constructing accessibility ramps are based on scant scientific evidence. This article presents a statement of established standards for construction criteria for accessibility ramps and makes recommendations from the perspective of inclusive design. A literature review was performed using the databases Medline, OTseeker, PsycINFO, and CINAHL (2000 to 2013), combining keywords referring to: universal accessibility, inclusive design, accessibility ramps, biomechanics, obesity, and disabilities. Non-scientific literature was also explored (e.g. building codes). The fifty-eight articles selected were grouped under five themes: 1) ramps and users; 2) materials and climate; 3) visual reference; 4) "wayfinding"; 5) durability, aesthetics and culture. Recommendations encouraging interdisciplinary practice, pegged to inclusive design, are exhibited (e.g. tracking, tilt, contrast).

There is concern that young people with visual impairment do not leave school adequately prepared for the workplace. Seventy young people from the UK with visual impairment (aged 16–19) took part in semi-structured interviews exploring how they define independence and how they predict they would deal with employment-based problems. Two overarching themes emerged: (1) how active/passive the young people felt they should be in solving problems (active–passive dimension), and (2) to whom (themselves or others) the young person attributed the responsibility for problems and solutions (internaliser–externaliser dimension). The results provide evidence of the importance of teaching young people disability-specific skills at school (an ‘expanded core curriculum’) which aims to maximise young people's independence while giving them a clear understanding of the accommodations to which they are entitled.

The purpose of this study was to analyze self-concept, self-esteem, and other personality traits and psychopathological symptoms in subjects with and without visual impairment. The sample was made up of 90 participants aged 12 to 17: 61 with no impairment and 29 with visual impairment. The ANOVA showed that there were no significant differences in self-concept and self-esteem in the samples, but the visually impaired adolescents scored significantly higher in various psychopathological symptoms as well as in their capacity for kind behavior. The ANOVA revealed no gender differences in any variables in adolescents without visual impairment. However, women with visual impairment scored lower in self-esteem and higher in various psychopathological symptoms. Pearson coefficients revealed negative relations between self-concept/self-esteem and all the psychopathological symptoms, and neuroticism, as well as a positive relation with extraversion. Low psychoticism, high extraversion, and low hostility were identified as predictors of high self-concept.

Objective – To assess competing explanations for the universal preference of mothers to cradle infants on their left side and to propose a relation to hemispheric asymmetry for social attachment and communication behaviour. Methods – A review of observational, experimental, physiological, psychological, neuro-physiological, and neuro-psychological studies, including new findings on the cradling behaviour of mothers with auditory or visual impairments. Results – A significant left-cradling bias is observed in both right- and left-handed mothers which cannot adequately be explained by arguments based on handedness or closer contact to the soothing sound of the maternal heartbeat. Observations of primate behaviour have led to the suggestion that the left-cradling bias may be related to a left visual field (right hemisphere) advantage for monitoring an infant's facial expressions of distress. However, more than just monitoring, cradling subserves the mother's connection with the infant. For that reason, we have suggested that left cradling might be related to a right hemisphere specialisation for emotional communication, i.e. the speech melody, smiles, signals, and stroking which mothers use to interact with their infants. Studies of mother-infant interaction show that the sound of the mother's voice is more soothing when cradling on the left, more stimulating when cradling on the right. Cradling laterality may thus be related to emotional state and behavioural intent. There is also evidence to suggest that left cradling is linked to a special role of the right hemisphere in social attachment behaviour. This function may be disturbed in mothers with postnatal depression who show abnormal right hemisphere activity. Conclusion – Cradling embodies the symbiotic relationship between mother and infant; various lines of evidence support the suggestion that the universal preference of mothers to cradle infants on their left side is related to a right hemisphere dominance for social attachment and communication behaviour.

Background: Dementia and visual impairment are among the most common medical conditions in later life. Almost nothing is known about the experiences and needs of older adults with both conditions.

Method: In this qualitative study using in-depth individual interviews, multiple perspectives were sought through a case-study approach. Fifty-two interviews were conducted: 17 with older adults with visual impairment and dementia, 17 with family caregivers, and 18 with care professionals.

Results: Impaired memory and a lack of visual cues created profound disorientation and distress, which could be manifested in disruptive behavior. Visual hallucinations compounded older adults' disorientation, and caregivers were uncertain about how to manage them. Visual impairments reduced the ability of older adults to perform certain activities safely, while dementia impaired their ability to assess the risks accurately. Concerns about safety prompted family members to limit their relatives' activities even in early stages of dementia. Low-vision services perceived themselves to be ill equipped to manage dementia-related needs, while visual needs were accorded a low priority by dementia services. A lack of joint working by the two services led to an overcautious approach.

Conclusions: The research identified considerable unmet needs and opportunities to improve care. The provision of clear verbal communication and optimized visual inputs is likely to reduce disorientation, distress and agitated behavior, while one-to-one contact is needed to overcome feelings of isolation. Family caregivers require additional respite services and advice on managing hallucinations. Increased sharing of information and skills between mental health and low-vision professionals would help maximize older adults' independence.