How Pupils with Severe Visual Impairment Describe Coping with Reading Activities in the Norwegian Inclusive School

Abstract

This article explores how 11 pupils with severe visual impairment cope with reading activities in inclusive Norwegian schools. All pupils received instruction in braille and print, and used an audio‐text format. Having multiple reading options provided possibilities for pupils to achieve reading skills, but also generated stress. Theories of stress and coping used to analyse the pupils’ descriptions of the reading challenges indicated that pupils used various problem‐focused and emotion‐focused strategies, making it possible for resource‐strong pupils to excel. Resource‐weak pupils, however, daily struggled with or avoided reading. Some refocused their efforts towards joyful non‐reading activities. When professional competence and support in choosing reading media was minimal, option availability became a burden and left pupils to cope on their own.