Experiences of older adults listening to audiobooks after vision loss

Vision loss in later life can disrupt immersive leisure reading practices. Audiobooks are often framed as a functional substitute for print reading, assuming that immersion is preserved when reading becomes listening. This study examines how older adults with vision loss experience and adapt to audiobooks as a narrative medium.

In-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with adults aged 60 years and older living with vision loss. Interviews explored everyday audiobook listening practices, technological adaptation, and experiences of narrative immersion. Data were analysed using thematic analysis to capture experiential dimensions of the transition from print to audio.

Three themes were identified: Adaptation, describing vision loss as a pivotal rupture requiring emotional and technological adjustment; Learning to listen, highlighting the sensory and cognitive work involved in developing immersive engagement with audiobooks; and Building connections, illustrating how audiobooks support social participation, companionship, and continuity of reading identities.

Audiobooks play a central role in leisure participation and social connection after vision loss, but immersive engagement is not automatically preserved. Findings highlight rehabilitation-relevant barriers related to technology use, training, and accessibility, underscoring the need for approaches that support meaningful and socially connected reading experiences.