This phenomenological study examined how visually impaired professionals (VIPs) experience self-efficacy, identity, and workplace inclusion across diverse organizational settings. Using Giorgi’s descriptive phenomenological method, in-depth interviews with 11 participants revealed three essential themes. Silent Erasure of Competence captured the subtle invalidations and credential doubt that undermine professional legitimacy in ableist environments. Resilience as Resistance describes the intentional strategies, emotional regulation, adaptive workflows, mentoring, and advocacy through which VIPs transform exclusion into agency and purpose. Belonging Through Advocacy reflected how recognition, trust, and relational affirmation foster psychological safety and enable VIPs to shape inclusive cultures. Together, these themes position self-efficacy as a relational and systemic process influenced by bias, adaptation, and organizational climate. Findings extend disability theory, social cognitive theory, resilience theory, and self-determination theory by illustrating how lived experience drives empowerment and structural change. In addition to organizational implications, these findings offer meaningful guidance for counseling psychology practice. The themes highlight how practitioners can support VIPs in strengthening self efficacy, navigating identity related challenges, and fostering resilience within therapeutic and psychoeducational contexts
Robert Hoyt (Sun,) studied this question.