障礙與老化的交織
—高齡視覺障礙者的生命歷程與生產老化

全球人口趨勢已朝向高齡化，國內也即將邁入超高齡社會。人們平均餘命的拉長，加上醫療及公共衛生的改善，有越來越多的障礙者更有可能跨過高齡階段，以及有越來越多的高齡者在人生晚期更有可能成為障礙者，而使高齡障礙者的人口數逐年增加。對於高齡障礙者的生活樣貌及晚年發展，已成為各界所關注的重要議題之一，故本研究以高齡視障者的生活為研究對象。高齡視障者目前的生活樣態，多受到其過去剝奪經驗和資產累積的影響。為了能深入解析他們過去的經歷及目前的生活，本研究分別採用生命歷程和生產老化等兩項理論視角，以及自我民族誌此一研究方法。在過去經歷的發掘上，本研究是將焦點放在報導人生命歷程中的視障因應調適為主。而在目前的老年生活探析上，則以廣義的生產老化為重點。有關高齡視障者生命歷程的研究發現，報導人在視障失明之後，其生命歷程深受內外在多項線條的牽引交織。內在線條有失明創傷、創傷復原、視障身分認同、獨立與依賴情節、心靈救贖等。外在線條則有機會剝奪與資產累積、機會之窗開啟、交通行動限制與支持、家庭風暴與支持、明盲磨合與調整等。有關高齡視障者生產老化的研究發現，在工作與服務投入主要有服務使用者與提供者的界線重疉、個人選擇與信念的遵從、主場優勢的關鍵等。休閒與社會投入則有視障主體性的設計、視障團體社會力的展現、志工人力資源的善用、工具媒介的選擇使用等。科技投入則有輔助功能與通用設計的強化、科技投入的支持與助力、社會性觀看等。本研究建議則是當事人在視障發生之後，應針對其個人及家庭盡速聯結視障重建與訓練資源、視障同儕支持、其他支持資源（如教育、就業、交通、經濟等），協助重新累積其因視障而中斷之各項資產。另外不應以健全主義或老年歧視主義看待高齡視障者，他們雖已步入老年，只要提供所需的支持，他們仍可克服障礙與老化的限制，展現其發展和生產的潛能。

關鍵字

高齡視障者；生命歷程；生產老化；自我民族誌；質化研究

並列摘要

The global population trend has become aging, and Taiwan will enter the ultra-aging society. With the increase of people's average life-expectancy, and the improvement of medical care and public health, more and more people with disabilities are more likely to enter the aging stage, and more and more older adults are more likely to become disabilities in later life. The number of the disabled older people has increased year by year. Their life situation has become one of the important concerned issues. Therefore, this study focuses on the life of older adults with visual impairments. The current life situation of the visually impaired older people are mostly affected by their past deprivation experience and asset accumulated. In order to deeply analyze their past experience and current life, this research adopts two theoretical perspectives, including life course and productive aging, and the research method of autoethnography. This study focuses on their adaptation of vision loss in life course and the broader productive aging. This research has found that their life course is deeply influenced by multiple internal and external elements since their vision loss. Internal elements are including blindness trauma, trauma recovery, visually impaired identity, independence and dependence plots, and soul salvation. External ones are involving deprivation and accumulated asset, windows of opportunity, restrictions and support on movements, family storms and support. This study also has found that their productive aging are involving the elements of crossing boundaries between service users and providers, persisting in personal choices and beliefs, using home advantage within the work and services engagement; specific designing for visually impaired, displaying the social power of visually impaired groups, using volunteer resources within the leisure and social engagement; having accessible features, universal design, and technology support and assistance within the technology engagement. This study suggests that we should deliver rehabilitation resources, peer support, and other resources to the visually impaired and their family as soon as possible after losing vision. In addition, the visually impaired older people should not be oppressed by ableism and ageism. Although they have entered the aging stage, they still can perform developmental and productive potential and overcome the restrictions of disability and aging as long as they receive the support required.