ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING BY BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED INDIVIDUALS: ACHIEVING WRITTEN COMMUNICATION WITH THE SIGHTED TEACHERS IN INCLUSIVE SETTINGS

Abstract

This study is part of my PhD research and it investigates the issue of achieving written communication by BVI learners with their sighted teachers in an inclusive education environment. This qualitative, phenomenological study employs in-depth interviews as tool for data collection. The purposive sample consisted of fifteen participants, including ten BVI students and their five sighted teachers. The study employs Oliver’s (2013) Social Model of Disability to investigate both external and internal factors underlying The BVI learners’ attempts at accessing the written word. The collected data is transcribed and thematically analysed. The findings suggest that the students experience difficulties in achieving written communication with their sighted teachers, as the practices, dominant in the system, are majority oriented and marginalize the students with visual impairment. The BVI students, despite confronting such barriers, try to get on with their studies employing their individualized coping mechanisms to overcome these obstacles.