Childrearing experiences of fathers with blindness

Abstract

Background and objectives: Having children is as natural a desire for adults with disabilities as it is for their nondisabled peers. However, their disability can present them with a range of difficulties, which often require specific methods and coping strategies to overcome.

Method: In our empirical qualitative research, we asked blind fathers (N=9) living in Hungary about their involvement in child-rearing and childcare.

Results: Respondents unanimously highlighted the difficulty of accessing information on adapted methods of infant and childcare specifically for parents with blindness. The main difficulties they encountered were with transport, as they cannot drive a car and may find public transport challenging with a young child. To keep their hands free, they mostly carried the baby or toddler in a device that could be attached to their body. Another major difficulty is participating in visual leisure activities, where fathers with blindness often feel second-class participants. Although they can help children with schoolwork, it is clearly the responsibility of a sighted person to practise writing.

Conclusions: Earning a living is considered by fathers to be one of their most important responsibilities. Although ensuring the safety of a young child demands increased efforts, overall fathers with blindness feel they are doing their fair share of family tasks.

Keywords: blindness, visual impairment, fatherhood, child-rearing