Impact of virtual reality on parental understanding of visual impairment
Reviewed by Ivan Yip

The authors carried out a qualitative study using virtual reality (VR) headsets to give parents of children with visual impairment a point of view experience of the visual defect their child has. They found parents understood the difficulties and adaptations that their children had made much better. They understood better the potential future for their child. They were emotional and felt more empowered to advocate for their child. This study has shown how a new technology can help aid parents to understand visual impairments. The authors are careful not to extrapolate too extensively but applications could include teachers and other professionals involved in visual impairment support.

Through their eyes’: A qualitative study on the impact of virtual reality on parents’ understanding of visual impairment.
Wagstaff C, Williams M, Jackson J, et al.
EYE 
2026;40(10):1530–7.