Mothering within ableist and sighted systems: experiences of disabled mothers with visual impairments in Türkiye

Motherhood and disability are socially constructed concepts, yet dominant understandings often frame them as mutually incompatible, leaving mothers with visual impairments largely invisible within prevailing ideals of motherhood. Based on 14 semi-structured interviews, this study explores how disabled motherhood is experienced, negotiated, and enacted by mothers with visual impairments in Türkiye. Participants were aged 25–40, with educational backgrounds ranging from secondary school to undergraduate degrees. We used Reflexive Thematic Analysis to identify patterns within and across the data, and generated three main themes with seven sub-themes: (1) ‘Recognition,’ including ‘From questioning to support’ and ‘Invisibility and perceived inadequacy’; (2) ‘Transition,’ including ‘Desire for motherhood,’ ‘Anxiety and fear,’ and ‘Transformation and fulfillment’; and (3) ‘Practice,’ including ‘Searching and learning’ and ‘Developing with the child.’ The findings challenge deficit-based views and call for accessible, rights-based support in family, health, and social policy.