Supporting blind, visually impaired, and print disabled students: Are academic libraries doing enough?

This study examines the effectiveness of group counseling using self-talk techniques in improving academic resilience among blind students. The research involved seven Grade IX students from SMPLB YPAB Surabaya who had visual impairments. Utilizing a quantitative experimental design with a one-group pre-test and post-test format, the findings demonstrate that the intervention significantly enhances students' academic resilience. The use of self-talk enables students to replace negative internal dialogue with positive affirmations, fostering self-confidence, emotional regulation, and problem-solving skills. Group counseling further provides a supportive social environment, encouraging peer interaction and shared experiences. The study highlights significant improvements in all dimensions of academic resilience, including self-adjustment, perseverance, intelligence in facing difficulties, and problem-solving abilities. These results underscore the importance of integrating self-talk techniques in counseling practices to empower blind students to overcome academic and social challenges, develop resilience, and enhance their educational outcomes. The findings suggest that self-talk strategies, when combined with group counseling, offer a practical and effective approach to addressing the unique needs of students with special needs, particularly in fostering academic resilience.

Abstract Green chemistry is designed to be inclusive, with accessibility as a central perspective in science education. Inclusive Green and Sustainable Chemistry Education (IGSCE) is guided by three principles: (i) centering teaching on students’ needs and active engagement, (ii) promoting understanding through five interconnected levels of representation—symbolic, microscopic, macroscopic, human context, and inclusion—and (iii) enabling students to apply their academic skills to real-life situations through supportive pedagogical strategies. Within this framework, the Triangular Bipyramid Metaphor (TBM) is a didactic model for organizing chemical concepts. Despite its theoretical relevance, empirical studies investigating the application of TBM with students with and without disabilities remain limited. To address this gap, preservice chemistry teachers implemented TBM-based activities with blind and Deaf learners from two Brazilian institutions: the Federal Institute of Rio de Janeiro and the Federal Institute of Paraíba. The results, analyzed qualitatively, include the development of the “Green Star” metric in Braille and the introduction of a novel sign-term in Brazilian Sign Language, enhancing access to green chemistry. Although additional research is needed, our study provides empirical evidence of progress in IGSCE.

This study explores the implementation of Braille Qur’an learning for visually impaired students at SLB A Negeri 3 Martapura. Using a qualitative field research approach, the study examines teaching methods, learning processes, and student responses. Data were collected through interviews, observation, and documentation. Data were analyzed used Miles & Huberman stages. Validation of the data involved resources triangulations and member checking. The findings reveal that Qur’anic learning at the elementary level is focused on the introduction of hijaiyah letters using a kinesthetic method, especially through hand gestures representing Braille codes. This method enhances students’ memory and comprehension. Despite challenges such as the complexity of Arabic Braille codes and limited access to digital Braille resources, teachers adopt adaptive strategies like combining Braille reading with audio materials and educational games. These efforts foster an inclusive and engaging learning environment. The study highlights the need for digital Braille Qur’an development and structured teacher training to ensure equitable religious education access for blind students in rural areas.

The relationship between mathematics education and visual impairment has historically fallen short in providing learners with meaningful access to mathematical understanding, often relying on practices that limit students’ agency. This study analyzes the work of three teachers at a Chilean special school for blind students. Their lessons were recorded, transcribed, and examined using the NCTM’s eight effective teaching practices as the analytical framework. The findings reveal a persistent emphasis on memorization and procedural reproduction, with few opportunities for reflection, reasoning, or engagement with multiple representations. These instructional patterns constrain students’ access to a full mathematics education and highlight structural tensions that warrant attention.

تعد الإعاقة البصرية (المكفوفين) إحدى فئات التربية الخاصة التي تحتاج إلى رعاية تبعاً لقدراتهم بهدف الاستفادة من طاقاتهم كأفراد منتجين في المجتمع مما يساهم في تحقيق الدمج الاجتماعي، ويعني ذلك توفير كافة السبل وإتاحة الفرص لهم كي يحيوا حياة كريمة في البيئة التي يحيا فيها أقرانهم العاديون وكل ما من شأنه تيسير سبل دمجهم مع أقرانهم والمحيطين بهم في المجتمع الذي يعيشون فيه. ولعدم وجود دراسة تناولت خصائص التعبير الفني لدى التلامذة المكفوفين، الامر الذي وفر لدى الباحث مسوغاً لضرورة البـحث، يهدف البحث الحالي الى تعرف على خصائص التعبير الفني لدى التلامذة المكفوفين، تكون مجتمع البحث من (40) طالب وطالبة ، وتم اختيار (10) منهم كعينة للبحث. وقد استخدم الباحث المنهج الوصفي (اسلوب تحليل المحتوى) كونه يتلائم مع هدف البحث، وتم اعداد الاداة الخاصة بالبحث حيث تكونت من استمارة تحليل، واستخدم الباحث الوسائل الاحصائية : معادلة (كوبر) لايجاد نسبة الاتفاق بين المحكمين ومعادلة (سكوت) لحساب صدق الاداة، ومعامل ارتباط) بيرسون) لاستخراج الثبات بطريقة التجزئة النصفية، اما اهم النتائج: في مجال الفقرة الرئيسية (نوعية الخط) حصلت الفقرتين الثانويتين (منحنية ومتنوعة) على اعلى نسبة مئوية اذ بلغت (70%) اما في مجال الرئيسي (الألوان) حصلت الفقرة الثانوية (يستخدم الالوان موضوعياً) على اعلى نسبة مئوية بلغت (90%). اما اهم الاستنتاجات: ان لمعلم التربية الفنية الأثر الكبير في تمكين الطلبة المكفوفين من التعبير الفني عما في دواخلهم واستخدامهم للألوان واستخدام المفردات الطبيعية والخطوط المنحنية .وأوصى الباحث بالاهتمام بالتلامذة المكفوفين.

Abstract This article highlights the experiences of multiple university instructors and two students in an orientation and mobility (O&M) program as it relates to training future professionals with visual impairment or hearing loss. Many perceive vision loss as a significant tragedy, often associating it with limitations and dependence. For some, hearing loss is also thought to limit independence. In the past, it was thought that vision was necessary to teach O&M. Misconceptions about the abilities of persons with vision loss can create barriers to truly inclusive and effective training. However, by fostering an open and adaptive learning environment, instructors can ensure that their teaching methods empower blind and low vision students and students with hearing loss to safely and effectively teach independent travel. Co-creating learning experiences and exploring a constructivist approach utilizing students’ lived experiences can transform the field and provide role models for students and clients alike. This article is a personal accounting of challenges, resources, and resiliency that have led to inclusion of students with vision loss and hearing loss in an O&M personnel preparation program.

Adaptation of a Calculus-Based Introductory Physics Lecture and Lab for a Blind Student

Blind students usually are subjected to a substantial impediment of reading and accessing electronic documents, especially data that are noisy and those that are carefully designed. Traditional NLP models severely underestimate or misinterpret mathematical expressions in which symbols are represented as notation. It is a critical problem in the educational field, accessibility, and report generation programs, where in-depth knowledge of mathematical content is a priority. State-of-the-art document summarisation systems tend to fail in noisy text, disordered document structures, and non-textual content, e.g., equations, images, and charts. This paper introduces a powerful preprocessing model that focuses on improving input quality, semantic coherence, and readability. The process consists of sophisticated text cleaning, discerning structuring, and an extensive content interpretation model. The paper presents a proposal to simplify and verbalise mathematical expressions using a rule-based, context-sensitive language called the Verbalizer Rule (VR). The system translates complex mathematical syntax into human-readable natural-language descriptions by pattern-matching expressions and translating semantic meaning using clues in the context. Experiments demonstrate that this method achieves much higher readability scores and summarisation quality than state-of-the-art models. In the assessment, the Proposed CARMEN model, using the ROUGE metrics 1, 2, and L, yields a ROUGE score of more than 0.8333 among the other verbalizers.

This paper explores the application of assistive technology (AT) to blind students in the Jordanian public schools. A mixed-methods design was adopted, which incorporated semi-structured interviews with teachers and administrators and questionnaires that were sent to blind students and their families. The questionnaire contained 20 questions which were measured on a five-point Likert scale and interviews on perceptions, challenges and recommendations were conducted. Pilot testing and expert review enhanced the validity, whereas reliability was checked with the help of Cronbach alpha. Examination indicates that screen readers, Braille devices and audio books are extensively utilized with barriers to complete inclusion being limited to funding, teacher training and gaps in policies. Suggestions are also made to enhance practices of inclusive education.

This study explains the innovation of Braille music notation using plasticine learning media. The Research and Development (R&D) method was used to conduct this research through the Borg and Gall model. The population of this study involved five blind students at SMK Negeri 8 Surakarta. This study aims to develop a plasticine media product to improve the musical arts and music-reading competence of visually impaired students majoring in music at SMK Negeri 8 Surakarta. The Design and Development phase focused on creating the plasticine media, which was validated by experts in music, design, and special education, demonstrating its validity. The validation results were then processed, and the design was revised. Product testing was conducted, and the cumulative product trial results were assessed based on content quality, appearance, and technical quality, with a score of 76.38% in the feasible category. Furthermore, a feasibility test using a questionnaire administered to five students showed very positive results, with scores of 38.2 in content quality, 16.4 in appearance, and 37 in technical quality. All scores had a two-tailed significance of 0.007 and 0.013 < 0.05. These findings indicate that learning staff notation through plasticine media can improve the learning outcomes of visually impaired students.

This case study began in the first semester of 2013 as part of an integrated English course offered at a public university in Costa Rica. Data were collected at three intervals—2013, 2019, and 2020—to explore the experiences of several professors who taught visually impaired or blind students. The research is grounded in the personal experience of one of the researchers, who had a blind student in her class. It examines the perceptions and experiences of the participating teachers, as well as the challenges they encountered over time while striving to foster an inclusive classroom environment. The implications for theory and practice are discussed, and recommendations for further research are proposed.

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of Braille counting boxes in improving the ability of visually impaired sixth-grade students at Kanatang State Special School to add numbers between 0 and 100. The background of this study stems from the low mathematics learning outcomes of visually impaired students due to the abstract nature of numerical concepts, which necessitates concrete and tactile learning media to aid understanding. The research used the Classroom Action Research (CAR) method with a single subject design and involved a sixth-grade visually impaired student, Evan Clief Kaka (ECK), with a minimum passing grade (KKM) of 75%. The results showed a clear improvement after the intervention using the Braille Counting Box. The student's initial ability in the pre-action was only 35%, then increased to 50% in the post-test of Cycle I, and reached 80% in the post-test of Cycle II, which exceeded the MCC. Observations also noted an increase in the student's fine motor skills and independence, from the adequate category in Cycle I to the good category in Cycle II. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the Braille Counting Box is effective in improving the ability to add numbers 0–100 and helps blind sixth-grade students at Kanatang State Special School achieve learning completeness.

The toilet training program for blind students at the State Special School (SKhN) 01 Pandegelang is an important aspect in the development of basic life skills. Blind students need to be trained systematically and continuously. This study used a qualitative approach. Data collection techniques were carried out through observation, in-depth interviews with teachers, students and parents, and documentation of the learning program implemented at the school. The results of the study indicate that the toilet training program at SKh Negeri 01 Pandegelang has been designed based on the individual needs of students, by implementing routine-based learning strategies, positive reinforcement, and the use of learning media that can be accessed tactilely and auditorily. Obstacles faced in the implementation of the program include limited special educators, lack of supporting facilities. Nevertheless, this program has a positive impact on increasing the independence of blind students in terms of personal hygiene, discipline, and self-confidence. The conclusion of this study shows that the success of the toilet training program is greatly influenced by teacher involvement, collaboration with parents, and adaptation of learning methods that are appropriate to the characteristics and needs of blind students. Researchers recommend strengthening teacher training, providing disability-friendly facilities, and regular program evaluations to improve optimal results

For the academic to be inserted in Higher Education, it is necessary that he perceives reading as an activity of attribution of meanings that founds learning. In this sense, like any other student, the blind academic also needs to feel included in the academic discursive domain and this inclusion is permeated, to a great extent, by the formation of him as a reading subject. Therefore, we established as the central objective of this research to analyze the relationship of blind academics with reading, describing the reading strategies they use for textual comprehension. For this, we start from the theoretical contribution of Inclusive Education, to think about blind people in the context of Higher Education, Textual Linguistics and French-oriented Discourse Analysis to discuss reading from this perspective. To achieve the objectives, we adopted a qualitative approach and data collection occurred through semi-structured interviews conducted with four blind students identified in the Student Management System of the State University of Montes Claros - Unimontes, the locus of this research. In the interviews, the academics were encouraged to narrate experiences of reading in Higher Education, offering their understanding of their reading history in this discursive domain. The results of the research show that the blind academic becomes a reader in Higher Education progressively from the more massive use of technology such as reading strategies and the use of reading strategies that he begins to adopt, such as the recurrent use of the internet as a support to knowledge before reading.

The implementation of vocational massage skills learning program for phase C blind students at SLB Bina Harapan Pangandaran is an educational service strategy aimed at supporting independence and work readiness of blind students. This study aims to describe the process of implementing massage skills programs, identify obstacles faced by teachers, and analyze strategies used to overcome these constraints. The research uses a descriptive qualitative approach with data collection techniques including observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation. The research subjects were massage skills teachers and phase C blind students. The results showed that the program was implemented in stages, starting from basic theory to direct practice with a multisensory approach adapted to the characteristics of blind students. The main obstacles include limited tactile teaching media, unavailability of braille modules, limited practice space, and variations in student abilities. Teachers overcome these obstacles by modifying teaching aids, implementing individual approaches, delivering material orally and through direct demonstration, and involving parents in supporting practice at home. The massage skills program has a positive impact on improving fine motor skills, self-confidence, communication skills, and independence of blind students. The conclusion of this research is that the massage skills program has a positive effect on independence and work readiness of blind students. Research recommendations include developing more varied tactile teaching media, preparing braille and audio modules, improving teacher training, strengthening collaboration with parents and professionals, and providing adequate practice spaces.

The rapid advancement of technology offers new opportunities to improve human life, particularly in education. However, many individuals with visual impairments still face barriers in accessing technological tools, especially for learning and interpreting the Qur’an. The Nurul application, an AI-based innovation, was developed to assist blind individuals in Indonesia in enhancing independence and improving Qur’anic learning, particularly in understanding tafsir (interpretation). This study aims to describe the role of the Nurul application in supporting Qur’anic and tafsir learning among blind students at SLB A YPAB Surabaya, to examine how its features improve accessibility, and to evaluate the validity of its Qur’anic interpretations. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, data were collected through interviews, observations, documentation, and literature review. The analysis employed intertextual theory to assess the accuracy of the tafsir content. Findings reveal that Nurul provides interactive, user-friendly features that effectively support blind users in religious education. Key functions, such as Qur’an mode, Magic Mirror, and facial expression reader, help students engage with learning more independently and meaningfully. Observations and interviews indicate that the application effectively aids users in understanding Qur’anic verses and interpretations with sufficient accuracy. However, further improvements are needed to enhance tafsir validity and overall usability. This study contributes to the advancement of AI-based educational technology that promotes inclusivity in religious learning for the visually impaired.

School inclusion aims to overcome the segregationist logic of traditional education, promoting equitable and accessible teaching for all students. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Multisensory Didactics are references that can guide the creation of accessible teaching resources, allowing multiple forms of interaction and learning. This study presents the development and evaluation of a tactile graph board for teaching fractions, designed to increase accessibility for students with visual impairments. This is an applied, qualitative, exploratory and descriptive study, developed within the scope of a research and extension project linked to a Postgraduate Program in Technological Education. The board was structured with manipulable pieces in the form of circular sectors, mathematical comparison operators and tactile QR codes that direct students to instructional audios. The resource was evaluated by blind master's students, who analyzed its accessibility, usability and pedagogical potential. The results indicate that the resource favors active learning, ensuring tactile and auditory accessibility and promoting a more inclusive educational experience. It is concluded that the use of multisensory resources can contribute significantly to the teaching of Mathematics, benefiting both visually impaired and non-visually impaired students.

PurposeBlind and visually impaired (BVI) students frequently report negative experiences in inclusive Physical Education (PE), often facing social exclusion. Many transfer to special schools, however, research on social inclusion and exclusion dynamics in segregated PE remains scarce. This study examines how BVI students and their sighted PE teachers navigate ability-related social hierarchies in a segregated school in Austria. The investigation is grounded in the concept of ableism and an intersubjective understanding of inclusion.Materials and methodsFollowing Clark's Mosaic Approach, participant-led school tours were conducted along with semi-structured guideline interviews with 19 BVI secondary school students and three sighted PE teachers. Data were analyzed using thematic content analysis.Results and conclusionThe analysis identified three key social hierarchies in segregated PE: (1) the differentiation between sighted students and BVI students, reinforcing the perceived necessity and benefits of segregated PE from both student and teacher perspectives; (2) the differentiation between visually impaired and blind students based on their level of vision, which is embedded in teaching practices and internalized by students; and (3) the differentiation between students' developmental stages as perceived by teachers vs. students' own self-perception, leading to tensions between necessary instructional adaptations and the risk of infantilization. The results illustrate that while feelings of inclusion can be fostered for BVI students in segregated PE by critically dismantling ableist norms of visual abilities, ableist notions can still persist in nuanced, subtle and implicit ways.

This paper presents the pedagogical aspects of the use of comic books (HQ) as a textual genre that awakens creativity and playfulness in the classroom and the possibilities of interdisciplinary work through its use for pedagogical purposes. The Brazilian Law for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, Law 13.146/15, which guarantees the Braille System as an educational resource, demonstrates some physical resources used by blind students to read and write the Braille code and how the visual code of comic books is made accessible to these students. Based on documentary research with a qualitative approach, the results are presented through examples and reflections on the accessibility of the visual code, which uses the Braille code as a reading medium to make the description of the images accessible to the student who cannot see. It is concluded that reading the Braille code combined with reading the comic book as elements of social inclusion for blind students is of fundamental importance for the autonomy of blind students, also highlighting the importance of the description of the visual code (drawings) of the comic book being as objective as possible and without interfering in the student's imagination.