Report reveals knowledge gaps in research on living with deafblindness
Background: Norwegian Institute of Public Health expands public health report
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) has recently published a report mapping Norwegian research on visual and hearing challenges and deafblindness. The background to the report is that the Public Health Report will be expanded to include a chapter on disabilities. The public health report serves as a technical basis for the white papers on public health.
About the research mapping
The studies that have been mapped were about assistive technology, school, education and work, and quality of life and coping. They deal with people living in Norway, regardless of age and cause of disability. The research was published between 1990 and 2025.
248 studies were mapped, of which 144 are about hearing, 74 are about vision, while 15 studies are about people with combined sensory loss, i.e. deafblindness. Examples of topics that were highlighted among these 15 were:
- Child development
- Loneliness and inclusion
- Assistive products
- Activity and participation
- Experiences with healthcare
The authors have not captured all research on deafblindness in Norway, nor have they assessed the quality of the studies. However, they conclude that there are large gaps in the research on what it is like to live with deafblindness for people in Norway.
However, it concludes that there are large gaps in the research on what it is like to live with deafblindness for people in Norway
The programmes are available to everyone
The report provides an overview of studies that have been published in scientific journals, but does not go into the results of these studies. However, information about the studies is available to everyone in a digital platform called EPPI-Vis.
To enter the platform, see here: EPPI-Vis.
Here is a link to the report: Disabilities related to vision and hearing - Research map of studies with Norwegian data
Want to know more about the Norwegian Institute of Public Health?
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health is an administrative agency under the Ministry of Health and Care Services and has health surveillance, research, service provision and counselling as its field of work. Here you can read more from NIPH: Norwegian Institute of Public Health - FHI
Read more
Want to read about other projects? Read more about projects organised by Eikholt here.
Do you have any questions?
Get in touch with Andrè Vågan.
