‘Emotions are an integral part of what it means to be human and to live a human life’ (Jacobsen 2022:n.p.). Every human being is prone to experience emotions on a daily basis in their varying lifespaces, for example, in friendships and relationships, workplaces and at home. They define how we conduct ourselves as individuals, define ourselves, experience life, form relations with others and organise society (Jacobsen 2022:n.p.). In relation to CWVIs, emotions are expressed through physical touch and conversational means. It is noticeable that love is linked to integration for the CWVIs:

Caregivers revealed CWVIs consider the school as the ‘safe haven’ to either seek love they lack at home or to reconnect with those who are ‘similar’ to them. In the absence of this need, caregivers attribute this to difficult circumstances and socio-economic and family household dynamics, such as lack of father figures, child-headed households or single-parent households, which negatively impact the child’s behaviours and choices. Koelewijn et al. (2021:492) confirm that daily care from staff and managing tension among residents of a centre form part of a safe environment for the CWVIs. A concerning finding was that the majority of CWVIs lack father figures in the home, often resulting in feelings of abandonment. Respondents also raised issues relating to minimal love resulting from socio-economic circumstances and family household dynamics such as single-headed households and child-headed households. Caregivers also associated a lack of love with negative behaviours such as bullying, seeking love in the wrong places, craving attention and misconduct.

It emerged that love is expressed through inclusion, as this results in a sense of belonging and eliminates feelings of discrimination:

Inclusion implied a desire for the children to be regarded in the same light as other children by the legislative sector, provision in public services (voting, grocery stores and bank ATMs), and removal from spaces of confinement (especially the home environment):

Such inclusion facilitates a child’s overall well-being, confidence and integration in society, and meets their need to belong. As expressed by the respondents, the ability to relate and connect is a satisfying and reassuring feeling for CWVIs that he or she is normal:

Individuals are presented daily with challenges to their personal and cultural safety, simply by living in a community (Glisson, Dulmus & Sowers 2012:245). Gharabaghi and Charles (2019:150) discuss this with reference to the term ‘rituals of encounter’, which is interpreted as the practitioner’s role to engage with the client in meaningful ways that observe cultural differences. These cultural considerations can also be seen in the example of the Dialogue in the Dark exhibition (a physical and intellectual tour), in which visitors were presented the opportunity to gain insight into the world of the blind in order to encourage increased understanding (Gokcigdem 2016:68).

With regard to child-rearing, it was learnt that CWVIs are naturally accepting of different cultures, languages and beliefs (referred to as religion or background by caregivers) beyond their home norms and are inquisitive to learn more about them. This interest is a significant contributor towards embracing diversity, cultural recognition, acceptance, belonging and integration into society at large and with fellow peers in the school setting:

Common practices identified within family households included respect, togetherness, compromising, love, faith and openness towards foreign cultures and beliefs. With reference to the above list, several HCs agreed on the importance of engraving faith-based practices, for example, prayer, as a means of uplifting the child’s spirits, reassuring the child of his or her identity (avoiding developing a victim mentality) and knowing that there is hope in life. This is in line with the CYC developmental domain of practice milieus that considers the family as a microsystem, specifically within the cultural aspect that guides moral and religious identity (Stuart 2013:88–89).

A key finding in societal perceptions of normality was the fact that CWVIs desire to be seen as able and included:

From the opinions shared by the two groups of caregivers, it is evident that societal suspicions and negative connotations are an undeniable reality; the majority of the caregivers share the questions asked when in public and the uncomfortable interactions that children encounter in social settings, which can hinder social integration.

Findings show that when it comes to socialising, CWVIs have the need to be understood, to be included, heard, accepted and noticed:

The act of socialising is linked to the sense of belonging in which CWVIs establish their identity and membership in the space of hanging out. Caregivers note the need to socialise with others as highly beneficial to the child, as it meets their cultural needs; enables them to have a sense of belonging, love and acceptance; creates an atmosphere of comfort and authenticity in which one is able to express themselves; and equips the child with essential social skills for real-life situations. Another perspective raised by an HC in respect of hanging out sheds light on the fact that these children stop seeking validation at an older age as a result of a higher sense of self-value and ability in relating to others. However, an issue identified within this theme is the fact that some CWVIs tend to hang out with the elderly because of lack of integration, acceptance and uncomfortable questioning (or even bullying) from sighted peers in their age group.

In relation to the medical needs of a CWVI, HCs identify this need as one of their lifetime investments and responsibilities:

Similarly, with a person who has a medical condition, the same applies to CWVIs. The medical needs of these children can be broad, as regular check-ups with relevant medical practitioners are required to maintain their overall well-being and address any sudden destabilisation in their health.

Children with visual impairments are dependent on assistive equipment, which enables their development and allows them to function on a daily basis with some level of mobility and receive a quality education similar to that of a sighted child:

Some of the most important tools caregivers identify are the cane, Braille machine and devices, such as a video magnifier for the classroom.

The benefit of not doing for or to the CWVIs is that they can experience freedom of movement, the right to privacy, confidence and the ability to act autonomously, enabling transition into adulthood:

Independence is acknowledged to be a gradual development process and only granted to the child with certain measures in place to ensure safety and avoid stretching a child beyond his or her capacity.

Caregivers contextualised this theme as a child partaking in ‘purposeful activities’, including those that may be ‘meaningless’ as purposeful to the child:

Caregivers contextualised this theme as a child partaking in ‘purposeful activities’, including those that may be ‘meaningless’ as purposeful to the child. The caregiver’s intentionality to ensure the child is proactive and provided with a wide range of opportunities enables experiential learning. For example, one caregiver shared how Mecannos (a toy model construction system) and outdoor ventures are means by which experiential learning opportunities are created. On the other hand, caregivers highlighted the lack of opportunities attributed to socio-economic circumstances.

A key requirement with activities is that they need to be age- and developmentally appropriate activities (Developmentally responsive) and should also be of interest to the child:

This perspective is supported in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)’s report (UNESCO 2020), which outlines the disproportionate education and discrimination disadvantage. The following point stated in the report aligns with the legal guidelines aspect identified in this study:

Participation in age-appropriate activities strengthens inclusion, which the CWVI has a right to, that permits the use of senses and manageability within their developmental capabilities. This is validated by one caregiver’s input, in which confidence-building and the abilities of the child are the two key factors to consider when planning the activities. It is evident from the findings that activities have numerous benefits when the child’s needs are catered for, such as a sense of community, achievement, pride, purpose, enhancement of social interactions, brain stimulation, consistency, physical health and strength, life skills, motivation and heightening of senses and confidence levels – active learning through doing:

Another needs aspect laid out in the theme of participation addresses the importance of the interests of the child, which include specific outcomes and objectives set by caregivers in the planning of activities. Children with visual impairments desire to partake in activities that have the following characteristics: activities that fall within his or her interests, define and highlight personal strengths, are entertaining and, most importantly, have a tactile component or use other senses. It was found that a fair balance in the approach of activity planning is key and should aim to enhance the holistic development of the child to access the benefits from activities.

Caregivers conceptualise boundaries in three ways, namely, generosity, implying the give-and-take principle, socialising and relationships:

This is done through conversational teachings in which a set of safety guidelines are shared with CWVIs in regard to their relations with others in order to protect them from vulnerable situations. This initiative enables children to be aware that boundaries are mandatory and are required to be set in a way that they are able to assert themselves in the company of others. Caregivers use everyday experiences attached to the importance of humanity.

Caregivers distinguish between two age groups of CWVIs, in which the younger group prefers holding hands, pats on the shoulder, conversations or comforting, whereas the teen prefers conversations, showing the varying forms of demonstration of love:

Several caregivers expressed the importance of enhancing vision through tactile means. Home caregivers meet this need through clarifying questions for children after social interactions with people, introducing and equipping the child with knowledge through the introduction to concepts and environments for experiential learning purposes. In the context of the school setting, touch is used as tactile exploration to teach children about their environment and concepts, done through teaching the size of objects, learning about food, for instance, the size of a tomato or cucumber, using models for conceptualisation, such as escarpment, and equipping the child with knowledge of concepts such as the feel of coins and notes of money:

Caregivers identify ‘echolocation’ as a key need to get acquainted with their environment, leading to a sense of direction. This self-positioning comprises navigation and obstacle avoidance (Melcón & Moss 2014:10).

Harbin (2009), the World Health Organization (2024) and Disability Info South Africa (2025) express interchangeable views regarding the limitations encountered by people with VI in performing normal daily activities such as reading, driving, walking and socialising. These often lead to high dependence on third parties or the use of visual aids and other equipment (Harbin 2009:117).

Although most HCs noted that there is no difference between the expression of love towards the children, a PS did distinguish that a CWVI requires abundant love compared to sighted children. The caregiver related this to the non-visual aspect compared to the sighted child who is able to see a facial expression.

What the findings highlighted is that the caregiver’s intentional approach to strength-focused development allows for holistic growth, self-confidence and self-esteem. From the findings, it is evident that the school set-up has opened a new world of diversity to the learners. Home caregivers share how their children are now fluent in other languages and even native languages, which they could not speak prior to joining the school. The role of the caregiver is perceived to play an important role in creating ‘integral environments’ that cater to the various needs of the CWVIs. This integral environment comprises a wide range of interconnected segments (e.g. love, inclusion, assurance, personal space and education) that enhance the holistic development of the CWVIs. With regard to stimulating environments, findings show that these spaces should permit the following: individuality or identity, culture, supportive structures, equality, inclusion, personal interests, decision-making, and strengths and skills development. These findings also coincide with CYC principles of being in relationship and fostering the needs and capacities of children and youth (Paget 2016:8) and the creation of fulfilling life spaces to define the purposeful use of daily events (Garfat et al. 2018:12; Stuart 2013:295). A study that explored common terms from literature used with CWVIs found challenging and self-injurious behaviour to be a common subject term (Kuld et al. 2021:138). It is interesting that this study, which explored CWVIs from terms derived from CYC theory, did not result in significant concerns raised with negative behaviours (outside of it being caused by the lack of love), which confirms the strength-based approach embedded in their theory.