valuing relationship (the "Friend") receiving a weight of seven. Thus, the closer
the score is to seven, the more positive the relationship. A similar weighted scoring
method was used for the adjustment stages. Since the stages (Trauma, Shock and
Denial, Mourning and Withdrawal, Succumbing and Depression, Re-Assessment
and Re-Affirmation, Coping and Mobilization, and Self-Acceptance and Self-
Esteem) progress from most reactive to most proactive (Tuttle & Tuttle, 2004),
their average tallies are weighted respectively from one to seven with Trauma
weighted by one and Self-Acceptance and Self-Esteem weighted by seven. Once
again, the closer the score is to seven, the better the psychosocial adjustment of the
predominant character with a visual impairment is.
Critical Analysis and Recommendations
To date, the authors have collectively reviewed 34 picture books featuring
fictional characters with visual impairments published between 1971 to 2021.
Three books were published in the 1970s, five in the 1980s, eight in the 1990s,
eight in the 2000s, seven in the 2010s, and three in the 2020s. Books with the
overall lowest score were published in the 1970s while books with the highest
overall score were published in the 2010s. Four of the books were written by
authors with visual impairments, and an additional four books were written by
professionals in the field of blindness and visual impairment. Thus, the majority of
books were written by authors with limited knowledge about vision loss.
