Is the Y-PEM useful for me? Perspectives of youth with visual impairment

Purpose: To explore how youth with visual impairments perceive the usefulness of the Y-PEM (Youth and Young-adult Participation and Environment Measure) in capturing their participation and how information generated contributes to their understanding of participation experiences. Materials and methods: A qualitative descriptive design was employed among 11 youth with visual impairment (3 females, 8 males) aged 17–24 (x¯ = 21, SD = 2.6) involving two remote sessions one week apart. First, the Y-PEM and QQ-10 questionnaire were administered to evaluate Y-PEM’s utility (value and burden), analyzed descriptively. Then, youth reflected on their Y-PEM results via an individual semi-structured Stimulated Recall Interview (SRI), analyzed thematically. Results: A mean value-score of 77% (SD = 10.4) and burden-score of 19% (SD = 5.6) on the QQ-10 indicated the Y-PEM was perceived as valuable with relatively low burden. Three themes emerged from the interviews. Insights on participation revealed increased awareness of participation patterns and environmental factors. This led to a reflection on personal attributes about levels of comfort and familiarity, efforts required to participate, and personal preferences influencing participation experiences. Finally, approaches to participation elucidated strategies used in decision-making processes about pursuing participation. Conclusion: Findings suggest the Y-PEM is useful in capturing and promoting reflection of youth’s participation patterns and environmental supports/barriers.