15/01/2026
Our GA member Jentel recently successfully defended her doctorate:
A Visual Story, Yet in Many Ways It Does Not Present Itself as One
RESEARCHER IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Visual impairments are often understood through fixed images and persistent stereotypes. But what does blindness or low vision really mean in everyday life, in relationships, in parenthood, at school, or at work? This question lies at the heart of the research conducted by Jentel Van Havermaet at Ghent University. By listening to the lived experiences of people with a visual impairment—and of those around them—her research explores how blindness manifests itself in many forms and reaches far beyond medical definitions. Drawing from disability studies, she weaves together personal stories, contextual perspectives, and international theoretical frameworks to understand how accessibility and meaning-making emerge through interaction. In doing so, her work contributes to a richer and more humane understanding of visual impairment and invites us to look beyond existing assumptions.
Can you briefly explain what your research is about?
My research aims to understand visual impairment through lived experiences. These include the perspectives of people who are themselves blind or visually impaired (referred to as “blind perceptions”), complemented by the experiences of those in their immediate environment.
What problems do you see in how blindness is understood today, and what does your research aim to add?
There is much more to say about visual impairment than the frequently repeated stereotypes, the so-called “meta-narratives.” Think, for example, of the idea that blindness means that someone cannot see anything at all, or of the societal assumption that “being able to see” is the norm. This latter way of thinking is also described as “ocularcentrism.”
By investigating how blindness is closely intertwined with many aspects of daily life, it becomes clear how multifaceted blindness can be. This idea of “blindness as many-ness” shows that blindness does not mean the same thing to everyone. People shape it in different ways and deal with it differently, depending on their relationships, environment, and everyday lives.
How did you come to this topic, and why does it resonate with you personally?
In my master’s thesis, I examined how parenthood takes shape when a parent has a visual impairment. Through the stories I heard there, I became fascinated by how blindness and low vision manifest themselves in other life domains and contexts. The topic also affects me personally: I myself have a visual impairment. This research therefore not only helps me understand others better, but also offers me the opportunity to further deepen my own perspective through research.
How do you approach this in your research—bringing together and understanding all these experiences?
My research aligns with the international field of disability studies, in which the perspectives of people with disabilities are central. I therefore work with qualitative methods, meaning that I primarily start from people’s own stories and experiences. I examine how these experiences gain meaning in everyday life, in relationships, and across different contexts. These stories are not only analyzed but also creatively interwoven—an approach sometimes described as “crochet as method,” because it brings different threads together into a whole. In addition, these experiences are placed alongside societal ideas about blindness and insights from the work of international blind scholars. In this way, a rich, layered picture emerges of what blindness can mean and how people live with it in their daily lives.
What have you discovered so far about how visual impairment manifests itself in everyday life?
What has stood out to me most so far is how broad and multifaceted visual impairment can be. Different angles—such as parenthood, education, social development, assistive devices, and academic work—are all different ways of understanding visual impairment. People with visual impairments themselves describe very rich and layered experiences, showing that the traditional list of definitions can be expanded with conceptions of blindness that are truly grounded in lived experience.
