Assess the association between self-reported visual difficulty and civic engagement among U.S. adults.
Approach:
Design and data: Serial cross-sectional analysis of 2022–2024 National Health Interview Survey data representing the civilian, noninstitutionalized U.S. population.
Measures and analysis: Compared voting in the most recent local elections, public-meeting attendance, and volunteering by reported visual difficulty. Adjusted analyses accounted for demographic and socioeconomic factors and the complex survey design.
Key Findings:
Of 71,941 participants, 13,987 (18.5%) reported visual difficulty.
After adjustment, visual difficulty was associated with lower voting participation (OR 0.87, 95% CI 0.83–0.92).
Adjusted differences were not statistically significant for public-meeting attendance (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.89–1.03) or volunteering (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.91–1.01).
Interpretation:
The authors report that visual difficulty was independently associated with lower voting participation, while adjusted rates of meeting attendance and volunteering were comparable. They discuss registration, transportation, ballot design, and access around polling places as possible barriers.
Limitations:
Self-reported NHIS data may be subject to recall bias.
The analysis included a limited set of civic-engagement measures and did not assess voting method, national-election participation, or the cause and severity of visual difficulty.
Conclusion:
The authors suggest that enhanced accessibility for voters with visual impairment may lessen disparities in civic engagement.
