The NRTC on Blindness and Low Vision is excited to announce the availability of our implicit association test on blindness and visual impairment (IAT-BVI). This test is designed to measure implicit attitudes about the competence of individuals who are blind or visually impaired; it assesses how someone associates the concept of competence (competent vs. incompetent) with vision level (sighted vs. blind).
Implicit association tests (IATs) are computerized assessments that measure implicit attitudes based on one’s response time for matching concepts with attributes. Implicit attitudes are unconscious thoughts influenced by cultural conditioning and experiences. When one associates a negative concept with an attribute (for example, incompetence with being blind), this is considered an implicit bias. These biases can impact behavior, such as employers being less likely to hire individuals who are blind. The IAT-BVI aims to evaluate unconscious biases about the competence of people who are blind.
The IAT-BVI is now available on the NRTC’s website. Any individual can take the test to understand their implicit attitudes about the competence of those who are blind. However, be aware that, unfortunately, IATs are not accessible to people without vision as they measure response time to visual stimuli. Researchers can also request the IAT to be utilized as an outcome measure for research studies. This test can be useful for professors, students, or people at organizations or businesses who want to know more about their unconscious thoughts toward those who are blind or have low vision.
For more information, visit NRTC's page on the IAT-BVI. You can also access the test here.
For questions or access to the IAT-BVI for research, please contact m.mcdonnall@msstate.edu.
The NRTC focuses on employment outcomes of people with blindness or low vision (B/LV), providing training, technical assistance, and resources for professionals and people with B/LV interested in employment through funding from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research grant #90RTEM0007. To learn more, visit our About page and the NTAC-BLV website.