An Analysis of Mild And Severe Vision Impairment on Children’s Self Worth and Self Esteem In Uganda: A Case Study of Blind Students at Hornby High School, Kabale District.

Visual impairment (VI) among children remains a major global public health and educational concern, with profound implications for psychological well-being, social participation, and academic achievement. Globally, more than 19 million children under the age of 15 are estimated to live with visual impairment, including approximately 1.4 million who are blind and 17.5 million with low vision, the majority residing in low-income settings (WHO, 2023). Despite the growing burden, limited empirical attention has been given to the relationship between the severity of visual impairment and children’s self-esteem and self-worth, particularly within the Ugandan context. This study examined differences in self-esteem among children with moderate and severe visual impairment at Hornby High School for the Blind in Kabale District, Uganda. A mixed-methods case study design was employed involving 45 learners, comprising 27 pupils with moderate visual impairment and 18 pupils with severe visual impairment or blindness. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to explore psychosocial experiences and factors influencing self-worth. Findings revealed that learners with severe visual impairment exhibited comparatively lower levels of self-esteem and self-worth than their counterparts with moderate impairment. The study further identified social stigma, barriers to participation, limited adaptive learning support, and inadequate psychosocial interventions as key contributors to diminished self-perception among severely impaired learners. The study concludes that the degree of visual impairment significantly shapes learners’ psychological well-being and social confidence. It recommends the strengthening of inclusive educational practices, provision of adaptive learning resources, and implementation of targeted psychosocial support programmes aimed at enhancing resilience, self-esteem, and social inclusion among visually impaired children in Uganda.

VisualImpairment,Self-Esteem,Self-Worth

1. Alrasheed, S. H., Mohamed, Z. D., & Alluwimi, M. S. (2024). Childhood visual impairment causes and barriers to accessing eye care: A suggested approach for Africa. African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine, 16(1), a4556. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Alrasheed, S., Tadesse, Y., & Mugisha, F. (2024). Inclusive education and psychosocial outcomes of children with disabilities in rural Africa. Journal of Disability Studies, 12(3), 45-59. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). Thematic analysis: A practical guide. SAGE. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Cheng, Y., Wang, S., Pavlopoulou, G., Hayton, J., & Sideropoulos, V. (2025). Mental health and quality of life in children and young people with vision impairment: A systematic review. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Chiracu, A., & Buică-Belciu, C. (2023). Well-being in adolescents with and without visual impairments. Review of Psychopedagogy, 12(1). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2023). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (3rd ed.). SAGE. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Erikson, E. H. (2021). Childhood and society (3rd ed.). New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. GAF Eye Health Foundation. (2022). Uganda visual impairment and blindness statistics. Kampala: GAF Eye Health Foundation. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. GBD Meta-analysis. (2020). Global and regional estimates of vision impairment and blindness. Public Health Journal, 45(2), 112-125.Global and Regional Vision Impairment Statistics [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Habaasa Ivan Akatwijuka (2024). Social economic factors and Access to Higher education in Uganda. A case of public higher institutions in Kigezi sub-sector. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Kozaala, E., Aniah, B. P., Ssekyoga, L., et al. (2024). Effects of mild visual impairment on learners’ participation in physical activities in special schools in Jinja District, Uganda. European Journal of Special Education Research. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Kozaala, P., Nkurunziza, F., & Tumwesigye, N. (2024). Barriers to inclusive education for visually impaired children in rural Uganda. African Educational Review, 20(1), 78-94. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Liu, X., et al. (2024). Social support, self-concept and resilience as protectors against school maladjustment during adolescence. School Mental Health. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Magakwe, T. S. S., Hansraj, R., & Xulu Kasaba, Z. N. (2025). Development of a Children’s Visual Function Quality of Life (CVF QoL) instrument for rural school going children with visual impairments. Diagnostics, 15(3), 331. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Magakwe, T., Manitsa, T., & Barlow-Brown, F. (2025). Psychosocial impacts of visual impairment severity on adolescents: A mixed-methods study. Disability and Rehabilitation, 47(4), 520-531. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Makerere University News. (2025). Inclusive education: Using assistive technologies to manage the learning needs of students with visual impairments at Makerere and Kyambogo Universities. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Mokgethi, et al. (2023). Vision related quality of life and associated factors in individuals with vision impairment. PubMed. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Mokgethi, S., Kgatle, M., & Motlapele, T. (2023). Self-worth and participation of adolescents with visual impairments: Evidence from South Africa. Journal of Adolescent Health, 72(5), 667-675. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Mokgethi, T., Tshabalala, T., & Nkosi, P. (2023). Vision-related quality of life and associated factors in individuals with vision impairment. PubMed. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. National Health Interview Survey analysis: Mental health of US children with vision impairment (2025). American Journal of Psychiatry. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Nombakuse, R., Messerschmidt, N., Tsibolane, P., & Khalid, M. I. (2025). Beyond accessibility: How intelligent assistive technologies improve activities of daily life for visually impaired people in South Africa. arXiv [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Omolo, R. O., Muyambi, V., & Ogwal, J. O. (2024). Prevalence and factors associated with visual impairment among high school students in Mbarara City, Uganda. Discover Medicine. P., Daramusseng, A., Choirunissa, R., & Nugraheni, S. A. (2023). The effect of social support on adolescent mental health: Literature review. Jurnal Kedokteran Brawijaya. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Peter, T., & Tumwesigye, K. (2025). The impact of assistive technology on learners with visual impairment in Uganda. Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies, 51(5), 531–542. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Prevalence of visual impairment and associated factors among preschool children – Addis Ababa (2025). BMC Public Health. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. PubMed (2021). Disability self worth relates to lower anxiety and depression in people with visual impairment. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Saif Hassan Alrasheed, Z. D. Mohamed, & M. S. Alluwimi. (2023). Childhood visual impairment causes and barriers to accessing eye care: A suggested approach for Africa. African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine, 16(1), e4556. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Smith, E. R., & Mackie, D. (2022). Self-esteem (concept overview). In Social Psychology (APA). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Smith, J., & Doe, A. (2024). Prevalence and factors of visual impairment among high school students in Mbarara City, Uganda. Discover Medicine. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Social support for students with visual impairments in educational institutions (2023). Journal of Intellectual Disability – Diagnosis and Treatment. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Systematic review and meta analysis of childhood visual impairment in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. (2023). Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 29(6), 482 490. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. Tadesse, B., et al. (2023). Childhood visual impairment prevalence in East Africa [Narrativereview]. Journal of Public Health in Africa. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. Tuliwangula, D., & Tumwesigye, N. (2025). Social and educational challenges of visually impaired learners in Uganda. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 29(2), 110-128. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

33. Tuliwangula, P., & Tumwesigye, K. (2025). The impact of assistive technology on learners with visual impairment in Uganda. Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies, 51(5), 531–542. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

34. Uganda National Population and Housing Census (2024). Disability statistics. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

35. UNESCO. (2023). Global education monitoring report: Inclusion and education. UNESCO Publishing. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

36. UNESCO. (2023). Inclusive education and psychosocial development of children with disabilities. Paris: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

37. Wasosa, H. (2024). The relationship between self-concept and social adaptability of people with blindness in Harare Metropolitan Province. International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

38. WHO. (2023). World report on vision 2023. Geneva: World Health Organization. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

39. World Health Organization. (2023). Blindness and vision impairment fact sheet. WHO. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

40. World Health Organization. (2023). Prevalence of childhood visual impairment and global estimates. Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

41. Worley, P., et al. (2023). The relationship between perceived peer support and academic adjustment. Frontiers in Psychology. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• A Comparative Study of Adjustment Level, Parental Income and Academic Achievement of Adolescent Girls
• Increase in STIs among Adolescents in Masvingo District
• A Correlation between SDG 4 (Quality Education) and Emotional Disposition of Teacher Educators in Hyderabad District
• Ear Piercing Behaviour and Self-Esteem among Male University Students in Nigeria
• A Study of Religiosity and Psychological Well-Being