Interdependent temporalities and the everyday mobilities of visually impaired young people

Abstract

This article examines the everyday mobilities of a group of visually impaired (VI) young people in London. We do so through a critical engagement with the notion of independent mobility central to the work of UK charities, campaign groups and professional bodies aiming to improve accessibility for people with VI. Drawing upon data emerging from self-directed videos and go-alongs with participants across London transport, we call for greater account to be taken of the politics of discourses around independence and how they intersect with disability and visual impairment. We make two interrelated arguments. First, that notions of interdependence are a more appropriate framework than independent mobility for engaging with the complexities of the everyday mobilities of young people with VI. Second, that considering the everyday temporalities emerging from the mobilities of VI young people provides alternative engagements with the contested term of independence. We conclude by stressing the significance of the politics emerging from the interwoven, compromised, and negotiated speeds and rhythms of VI young people’s engagement with in(ter)dependent mobilities.