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FOODWAYS OF THE VISUALLY-IMPAIRED: TRAVERSING THE BLIND KITCHEN

Author

Jason Chaw Jay, University of the PacificFollow

Date of Award

2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Department

Food Studies

First Advisor

Alison H. Alkon

First Committee Member

Daniel Phil Gonzales

Abstract

In the United States, the number of visually impaired and blind Americans will rise drastically as the population continues to age; and, yet little is known about how the impact of blindness affects an individual when it comes to the experience of food provisioning and preparation. This thesis presents the study of how the blind and the visually impaired experience food provisioning and preparation. It explores how modern technology and sensory training help these groups of people traverse kitchen and grocery store environments. In thematically organized chapters, this thesis examines sensory education, nutrition and food related obstacles. This is the first study in the United States in which the experience of food provisioning, preparation of food, and consumption of food are described from the perspective of Blind and Visually Impaired Americans. In this qualitative study, food experience and the eating choices of the blind and visually impaired Americans were examined. Influential factors on the experience of food were also explored.

Pages

65

Recommended Citation

Jay, Jason Chaw. (2018). FOODWAYS OF THE VISUALLY-IMPAIRED: TRAVERSING THE BLIND KITCHEN. University of the Pacific, Thesis. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/3125