The Transactional Framework Understanding Disability

The External Environment

What are the main issues of physical access for vision impaired people? Inadequate transport Lighting Signage Use of auditory devices – e.g. speech in lifts Availability of mobility training

Environmental barriers Instruction manuals in print only Difficulty of using supermarkets because of lack of tactile labelling Difficulty of using cash machines Lack of tactile surfaces in buildings.

What are the organisational barriers faced by vision impaired people? Lack of accessible information Examination and qualification systems that respond inadequately to the needs of vision impaired individuals Employment requirements that take no account of the impact of sight loss Ignorance of what to do by non- disabled employers

An objective environment The physical and organisational environment exists independently of the disabled person. It is an objective environment with which they must interact. That interaction can be made easier by changes to the environment and development of coping strategies by the individual.

The Rehabilitation Task What can rehabilitation workers do to ameliorate the impact of the physical environment? What needs to be done outside of the rehabilitation role?

The Social Environment How do non-disabled people react to vision impaired individuals? Feel sorry for them Feel anxious Irritated Ignore them Regard them like anyone else.

Impact on the vision-impaired individual of other people’s: Pity Anxiety Irritation Indifference Acceptance

The Rehabilitation Task How can the rehabilitation worker enable a vision impaired client to deal with the impact of other people’s attitudes? What kind of approach will be most effective in empowering the individual?

The Transactional Framework ObjectiveSubjective IndividualDefinitions and criteria used by others Sense of Identity SocialPhysical and organisational Environment Social Attitudes