The impact of independent movement and individual characteristics on self-esteem and locus of control of adults with visual impairments

Self-esteem includes an individual’s sense of worth and is also associated with psychological well-being. Locus of control is defined as the individual’s confidence and belief in the control of personal pursuits. Vision loss is linked to challenges in a variety of areas in an adult’s life, such as independence, daily life activities, and quality of life. The study involved 101 participants, 72 with blindness and 29 with low vision. Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Rotter internal-external locus of control scale, and a self-report questionnaire for the independent movement were the instruments of this study. The independent movement was positively correlated with self-esteem and negatively correlated with locus of control, and self-esteem is significantly correlated with the educational level of parents. Vision status, physical exercise, and athletic status affect the self-esteem and locus of control of participants, age at the onset of visual impairments affects their self-esteem and marital status affects their locus of control. Moreover, independent movement, mother’s educational level, vision status, and physical exercise emerged as significant predictors of self-esteem, while significant predictors of locus of control were independent movement, vision status, and physical exercise. The research findings could be applied by experts in the fields of rehabilitation, orientation, and mobility training for individuals with visual impairments.