Rural Challenges to Educating English Language Learners with Visual Impairments

Abstract

All schools, including those in rural areas, must meet the challenge of providing highly qualified teachers in response to No Child Left Behind (Brownell, Bishop, & Sindelar, 2005). Teachers must be qualified to meet the needs of unique populations of students with special needs, including a growing population of English Language Learners with Visual Impairments (ELL/VI). This study explored the perceptions of English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers regarding ideal service delivery for ELL/VI students. Results indicated that ESL teachers believed appropriate service delivery for this unique population included the availability of teachers licensed to teach both students who are classified as English Language Learners, those with visual impairments, and sensitivity to the students' cultural and linguistic groups. The study focused on challenges and training needs of teachers involved in educating students with disabilities who are also English Language Learners across the spectrum of educational settings including rural and remote communities.