“Social ignorance of blindness”: images and narratives on visual impairment through photovoice

Purpose This article aims to engage participants in a self-reflective process to inquire about their perception of visual impairment (VI), exploring both the image they have of VI and the preconceptions they have about it. Design/methodology/approach The sample consisted of 223 students two Galician universities (northwest Spain). The study used a participatory approach in which the Photovoice Technique was combined with the Incomplete Sentences strategy to collect information while promoting self-reflection and personal awareness. Findings The information collected was analysed using Maxqda22 and the results revealed that, behind an apparent inclusiveness, there is evidence of the persistence of stereotypes about VI that go beyond lack of vision: glasses as a synonym for “metaphorical darkness”, cane and guide-dog as a synonym for dependency and lottery sales as a synonym for inferiority. These findings suggest implications for educational settings, specifically university settings, along with the need to train university students about VI. Research limitations/implications However, this study is not without limitations, one of which is selection bias, given the voluntary participation of the students. Another limitation inherent to perception studies is related to social desirability bias, where the participant tends to respond with a greater predisposition towards correct or desirable behaviour, minimising incorrect or undesirable behaviour. Originality/value In terms of the impact of the study, this work shows the potential of Photovoice as a visual methodology in social research, especially in participatory or activist studies. It provides a novel and original approach that evokes other ways for informants to reflect on their attitudes towards VI. In this research, Photovoice has proved to be a valuable methodological strategy to deepen the subjectivity of the student participants, the articulation of knowledge and the production of visual messages about VI. This method has facilitated the representation of their perception of VI, while promoting knowledge and critical reflection on their attitudes and preconceived ideas about VI.