The psychological work with visually impaired people is specific. Indeed, the psychologist has to be raised awareness among visual diseases and consequences of those diseases on environmental perception and everyday life. So it’s important to know that pathologies mostly encounter are :
- Age-related macular degeneration (DMLA in French)
- Glaucoma
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Severe myopia
- Genetic diseases
So, a lot of visual impairments are caused by genetic transmission, it’s a reality. Today, 270 genes have been found to cause visual impairment. When the diagnosis falls, it’s important to support the patient and his family. A psychologist can resume with them the diagnosis and discuss the feelings concerning this announcement. He has to inform entourage and the patient. However, after, it’s important to listen the patient regarding representations of his visual impairment, which echo to his story … For example, it can be a huge work on identity as a visually impaired person, but it depends on where the patient is and how far has he already comes.
Genetic dimension crosses that of heredity, of transmission. In our society, this question is always in movement. And after a long path of acceptation of the genetic pathology, a new question can emerge : Do we want to take the risk of transmitting this specificity? Many patients wonder about this transmission. Not every patient because it depends on many factors (relation with disease, family support…).
In one conference, the topic was “How intercultural can shake up interdisciplinary in the accompaniment of two families with hereditary visual impairment”. Thanks to the shared experience of two psychologists, we saw that eyes can take different significations and symbolization according to the culture, the society and the individual. Indeed, sight represents 80% of the environmental perception. And it’s the only sight which can help us to situate, to discriminate some items, people with colours and 3D. Moreover, it’s difficult for visually impaired person to give trust. They must find marks every time in every places so it can be exhausting.
In the common language, we use a lot the word “to see”. So, we must be wise to employ less this word and more synonyms such as “perception”, “representation” … For example, you can explain your idea differently : “do you understand what I mean?” and “ do you see what I mean?”.
To conclude, in those three study days, I have learned a lot. Something stays in my mind : feel free to join others in their reality and subjectivity.
[1] “Association de langue française des psychologues spécialisés pour personnes handicapées visuelles”