Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the quality of life between blind students and their sighted counterparts in Tehran.

Method: The subjects of this study were 93 blind students (18 girls and 75 boys) aged 15 and over, residing in Tehran and studying at Tehran schools for exceptional children. The comparison group was selected through a multi-stage random sampling from among students attending ordinary schools in Tehran. The number of girlswas three times and the number of boys was two times that of their respective gender counter parts in the study group. Data was collected through the Quality of Life Questionnaire and an investigation of the subjects’ visual acuity. A pilot study was carried out to eliminate some of the inefficiencies, and to increase both the reliability (Cronbach Alpha estimation) and the structural validity (through factor analysis).

Findings: Analysis of the data demonstrated no significant difference in terms of quality of life between the two groups. However a significant difference was noticed in the mobility domain (as a subset). A significant relationship was also noticed between quality of life and visual acuity in blind students. The level of education was significantly higher among the parents of sighted students. To increase the quality of life for the blind students, the followings were suggested by the.

Results: provision of group and individual means of transportation for the blinds, prevention of the development of visual disability, and complete correction of low vision through the use of modern appropriate vision aids.