Blind Students Research Articles

Teachers’ Attitudes towards Inclusion of Blind or Partially-Sighted Students in Secondary Schools in Nigeria

Purpose: This study investigated the attitudes of secondary school teachers towards students with blindness or partial sight in selected states in Nigeria. Method: The authors utilised the modified version of a previous instrument to collect data from 306 secondary school teachers in Nigeria. Six basic questions were established to address: respondents’ attitudes towards inclusion; training acquired related to teaching; knowledge pertaining to policy and legislation; confidence levels; impact of geographical location; and differences in attitudes by the variables of subject(s) taught, school level taught, and years of teaching experience. Results: Attitudes of participants were mixed but generally indicated a positive trend. The level of training was low, with teachers showing limited knowledge of policy and legislation. A little over a quarter (27%) of them lacked confidence in teaching. There were differences in attitudes related to the geographical location of respondents. Those who taught at the senior secondary school level tended to have higher attitude scores on average than their counterparts at the junior secondary school level. Conclusion and Limitations: This study used self-report measures, although observations and interviews could be additional ways to evaluate the attitudes of participants throughout the country. Moreover, in-service programmes should be implemented to increase the knowledge base and expand the experiences of teachers in line with established policies and legislation.

Exploring STEM Kit Diagrams for Braille Readers in Inclusive Classrooms

Diagrams appear in many school subjects but more prominent in science and mathematics taught in schools. Accessing these diagrams in an inclusive classroom has been identified to be problematic for blind students partly due to the teaching resources available and personnel type, support and sufficiency. Diagrams are mostly omitted by teachers leaving the blind person out in such classroom to access portion of education received by their peers. In many instances, questions with diagrams are treated as bonus for blind students in some countries which is not fair to them. This study explored the efficacy of STEM Kit diagrams on participation and inclusion of blind students in science lessons in two case schools in Nigeria. Data were collected through classroom observations and teacher and student interviews. The accessible diagrams in the STEM Kit were found to provide relevant solutions to problems militating against adequate accessibility of diagrams to blind students in inclusive classrooms.

الشعور بمعنى الحیاة وعلاقته بفاعلیة الذات لدى عینة من الطالبات الکفیفات فی جامعة الإمام بالریاض Feeling of the Meaning of Life and its Relationship to Self-Efficacy among a Sample of Blind Female Students at Al-Imam University in Riyadh

هدفت هدة الدراسة إلى الکشف عن العلاقة بين الشعور بمعني الحياة وفاعلية الذات لدى عينة من الطالبات الکفيفات في جامعة الإمام بالرياض وتکونت عينة الدراسة من (43) من الکفيفات (12کفيفة کليا)، (31کفيفة جزئيا) في جامعة الإمام بالرياض ثم طبق علي أفراد العينة مقياسان هما مقياس الشعور بمعني الحياة لدي الطالبات الکفيفات من إعداد الباحثة ومقياس فاعلية الذات لدي الطالبات الکفيفات من اعداد الباحثة وقامت الباحثة بصياغتها بما يتناسب مع طبيعة العينة وتم التطبيق في (2019( وخلصت الدراسة إلى عدة نتائج أهمها ما يلي : - أن مستوى الشعور بمعنى الحياة، لدى الطالبات الکفيفات کليا والکفيفات جزئيا، بجامعة الإمام محمد بن سعود الإسلامية مرتفع. - أن مستوى (الإيجابية في الحياة، المسئولية الاجتماعية)، لدى الطالبات الکفيفات کليا والکفيفات جزئيا بجامعة الإمام محمد بن سعود الإسلامية منخفض. - أن مستوى التسامي بالذات لدى الطالبات الکفيفات کليا والکفيفات جزئيا بجامعة الإمام محمد بن سعود الإسلامية منخفض. - لا يوجد فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية عند مستوى 0.05 فأقل، بين المتوسط الحسابي لعينة الدراسة والمتوسط النظري في بعدي (الحب والتسامح، الهدف في الحياة)، لدى الطالبات الکفيفات کليا والکفيفات جزئيا، بجامعة الإمام محمد بن سعود الإسلامية. - أن مستوى فعالية الذات لدى الطالبات الکفيفات کليا والکفيفات جزئيا بجامعة الإمام محمد بن سعود الإسلامية مرتفع. وقد نوقشت هذه النتائج في ضوء نتائج الدراسات السابقة والإطار النظرى للدراسة. This study aimed to reveal the relationship between the sense of meaning of life and self-efficacy in a sample of blind female students at Al-Imam University in Riyadh. The study sample consisted of (43) blind women (12 student are completely blind), (31 students are partly blind) at the Imam University in Riyadh, then applied to the sample members have two scales: the sense of meaning of life measure for blind students prepared by the researcher and the self-efficacy scale for blind students prepared by the researcher wrote it according to the nature of the sample in (2019). The study concluded with several results, the most important of which are the following: - The level of feeling the meaning of life among students who are totally blind and partly blind at Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University is high. - The level of (positivity in life, social responsibility) among totally blind and partially blind female students at Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University is low. - The level of transcendence in particular among students who are completely blind and partially blind at Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University is low. - There are no statistically significant differences at the level of 0.05 or less, between the arithmetic mean of the study sample and the theoretical average in the two dimensions (love and tolerance, the goal in life), for totally blind and partially blind students, at Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University. - The level of self-efficacy among totally blind and partially blind female students at Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University is high. - These results were discussed in the light of the results of previous studies and the theoretical framework of the study.

فاعلیة برنامج تدریبی فی تنمیة بعض مهارات التوجه والحرکة لدى الطلاب المکفوفین المدمجین بالصف العاشر

الملخص العربى : هدفت الدراسة الحالية للتعرف على فاعلية برنامج تدريبي في تنمية بعض مهارات التوجه والحرکة لدى الطلاب المکفوفين المدمجين بالصف العاشر، وتکونت عينة الدراسة من (16) طالبا کفيفا بالصف العاشر، وطبق عليهم مقياس مهارات التوجه والحرکة والبرنامج التدريبي (إعداد الباحث) وقد توصلت الدراسة إلى النتائج التالي: وجود فروق دالة إحصائيا (عند مستوى ) بين متوسطي درجات المجموعة التجريبية في القياسين القبلي والبعدي في بعد مفاهيم الوعي المکاني لصالح متوسط درجات القياس البعدي، وجود فروق دالة إحصائيا (عند مستوى ) بين متوسطي درجات المجموعة التجريبية من الطلاب المکفوفين المدمجين بالصف العاشر في القياسين القبلي والبعدي في بعد تمکين الحواس من التحرک لصالح متوسط درجات القياس البعدي، وجود فروق دالة إحصائيا (عند مستوى ) بين متوسطي درجات المجموعة التجريبية من الطلاب المکفوفين المدمجين بالصف العاشر في القياسين القبلي والبعدي في بعد التوازن الجسمي لصالح متوسط درجات القياس البعدي، وجود فروق دالة إحصائيا (عند مستوى ) بين متوسطي درجات المجموعة التجريبية من الطلاب المکفوفين المدمجين بالصف العاشر في القياسين القبلي والبعدي في بعد استخدام العصا لصالح متوسط درجات القياس البعدي. مما يدل على فاعلية البرنامج التدريبي في تنمية بعض مهارات التوجه والحرکة لدى الطلاب المکفوفين المدمجين بالصف العاشر من طلاب المجموعة التجريبية. الملخص الانجليزى : This study aims to identify the effectiveness of a training program in developing some orientation and mobility skills among blind students integrated in the tenth grade, and the study sample consists of (16) blind students in the tenth grade, and the measure of orientation and mobility skills and the training program (researcher preparation) are used and the study results are following: There’re statistically significant differences (at the level of α≤0.05) between the mean scores of the experimental group in the pre and post tests in the concepts of spatial awareness dimension for the post test, and there’re statistically significant differences (at the level of α≤0.05) between the mean scores of the experimental group of integrated blind students in the pre and post tests in enabling the senses to move for the post-test, there’re statistically significant differences (at the level of α≤0.05) between the mean scores of the experimental group of the integrated blind students in the pre and post tests in the physical balance dimension for the mean of the post-test, there’re statistically significant differences (at the level of α≤0.05) between the mean scores of the experimental group of the integrated blind students in the pre- and post-tests in the cane use dimension for the mean of the post-test. This indicates the effectiveness of the training program in developing some orientation and mobility skills of blind students who are integrated into the tenth grade of the experimental group students..

Guided discovery learning to improving triangular understanding in blind student

Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui pengaruh pembelajaran guided discovery dalam meningkatkan pemahaman siswa tunanetra. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian eksperimental dengan desain Single Subject Research (SSR) A-B. Siswa yang digunakan sebagai subjek dalam penelitian ini adalah siswa kelas VII MTs Yaketunis Yogyakarta. Pengumpulan data melalui tes, observasi dan wawancara. Analisis data dilakukan berdasarkan hasil pada fase baseline maupun intervensi yang berada pada dua kondisi, yaitu dalam kondisi dan antar kondisi. Hal ini terlihat dari peningkatan hasil tes pemahaman siswa pada fase baseline dengan skor 43, 41 dan 50 menjadi 80, 83, 81, dan 90 pada fase intervensi. Demikian halnya dengan hasil analisis dalam kondisi yang menunjukkan bahwa fase intervensi memiliki arah kecenderungan arah dan stabilitas yang signifikan lebih meningkat daripada fase baseline. Melalui observasi dan wawancara juga diketahui konsistensi jawaban yang menunjukkan pemahaman konsep sudut siswa sudah terkonstruksi. Dengan pembelajaran guided discovery, siswa tidak hanya sekedar menghafal konsep tapi lebih pada aktivitas belajar bermakna dengan mengonstruksi dan memahami konsep secara mandiri, sehingga hasil belajarnya bertahan lama dalam memori siswa.

AUDIOBOOK FOR INCLUSIVE STUDENTS: ITS EFFECTIVE PRACTICE

The purpose of this study is to describe audiobook as learning media and todescribe factors influencing the successful used of audiobook by the blind studentsin inclusive school. This study was conducted at MA Muhammadiyah 1 Ponorogo.The instruments were observation, interview, and documentation. The result ofthis study revealed that the process of the use audiobook for supportingreferences in learning English, the teacher introduces an audio application andthen installing it on a blind students’ hand phone or laptop. The factor influencingthe successful use of audiobook by the blind students there are two factors thatare internal and external factor. Internal factor that influencing the success ofblind students in English learning by using audiobook the existence of enthusiasmfrom within. External factor that from parents, teacher, caregivers, and also theirfriends. All of them always help the blind students when needed.

Professional Development in training and Tutoring Have I really gained experience and skill through training and tutoring sessions? Case of: a special third year student, language sciences and didactics (SLD), Department of English, University of Bejaia

Practitioner engagement is not an easy task in teaching in higher education. In fact, there is much evidence now to propose a strong relationship between active engagement and the quality of the teaching experience. But what exactly do we mean by ‘engagement’? For many it simply refers to assisting students to connect with the subject material in a way that generates interest, enjoyment and interaction. Generating active participation is particularly important in tutorials or small group teaching, where tutorials ‘by design’, are intended to provide students a different kind of learning experience than the lecture. It is also through active engagement that both, teachers and students take greater ownership for their teaching craft and learning process. This concept assists in the development of an overall design or structure to support such engagement and active participation. The more organized and clear the teachers and students are, the more likely it is that they will get the desired and target results. In addition to this, active engagement of teachers should be reinforced by a reflective practice which is an active process too of attending to their own experience of teaching in order to explore it in some depth. It is in fact a ‘dialogue of thinking and doing through which teachers become more skilled. This process develops by thinking critically and deeply about what teachers are doing in order that they may transform that experience and reapply it in new contexts. In many respects, Professional Development in training and tutoring has been designed to motivate reflection on one’s teaching practice and mostly where teachers have an opportunity to see others in practice. The article’s results have been derived from the interpretation of the data collected through designing an interview addressed to the only special student of the department and show the researcher’s experience as a teacher and an administrator with Abdenour, this is how I like to call him, a blind student, but his determination and willingness to succeed in his higher studies made of him a remarkable young man. Special tutoring and training sessions have been designed to enable him fully integrate the learning community. Therefore, this article has been directed to focalize on the pedagogical decisions based on implementing and considering the training and tutoring sessions as a necessity to develop first the teaching craft and then help, advise and guide our students towards more success in their studies. Is not it mentioned in the official document (Journal officiel de la République Algérienne N°23 du 4 Mai, 2008 ; articles 33,34, 35, …) « to receive the students 3 hours/week to advise and orient them »?

EFL Education for the Visually Impaired in Japan: Data from Five Interviews

The educational research literature has promoted integrating students with disabilities into mainstream classrooms since the 1970s. In 2007, the Japanese government amended the School Educational Law, which has increased the number of educational opportunities available to students with disabilities. At the same time, the Japanese education system is, increasingly, following the global trend of promoting English as a foreign language (EFL) education at every level of the education system. There are approximately 1.64 million visually impaired people in Japan. Of these, an estimated 187,800 are blind. Even as the disability rights movement in Japan advances its agenda of barrier-free access, the processes through which blind students learn (and can be taught) foreign languages has not been well described within the broader educational community. In this paper, I will present the results of an interview study conducted with student and teacher participants at a school for the visually impaired in Japan. In this study, I sought to address two research foci: 1) what best practices can support teachers in conducting classes with visually impaired students; and 2) how visually impaired students relate to and engage with their EFL classes. Through my analysis of the interview data, I identified three core themes: a) the importance of targeted needs analysis; b) the centrality of braille for equity and access; and c) a tension between traditional educational support systems for visually impaired students in Japan, and what contemporary students increasingly need.

“To give light where He made all dark”: Educating the Blind about the Natural World and God in Nineteenth-Century North America

Nineteenth-century educators worried that blind children were particularly susceptible to moral apathy, religious decay, and atheism because they could not see the beauty of nature. These educators used instruction in biology, zoology, and natural history to teach blind children about the beauty of the natural world and the breadth of God's creation. Instruction techniques included innovative but expensive apparatuses and tactile models. Despite cost challenges, educators of the blind devoted time and ingenuity to expand the science curriculum, particularly nature study programs, to help their students become successful, productive, and pious citizens equal to their sighted peers. Teaching blind students about nature ensured the blind would not become burdens on society but could be brought into the proper, civilized, religious sphere of the sighted.

Obstacles to Blind Students’ Learning Maths in Jordan from Students’ and Teachers’ Perspectives

The present study aims at investigating the obstacles to learning maths by blind students from the perspectives of students and teachers. The sample of the study consisted of 30 students who are blind or with visually impaired. To learn about the obstacles they faced in learning maths, a questionnaire was employed, which was verified in terms of validity and consistency. In addition, 2 maths teachers at blind schools in the Jordanian capital Amman were interviewed. The results showed that the obstacles were so high by 89, 3%, downwards for the following aspects: administrative 94%, cultural 89% and curricular 85%. The researchers recommend providing supporting programmes and curricula which meet the needs of blind students in Jordan.

La formación de alumnado con discapacidad visual en el marco de los conservatorios de música en España

El presente artículo informa sobre la investigación realizada entre 2013 y 2017 acerca de la enseñanza de alumnado con discapacidad visual en los Conservatorios de Música, recogiendo los recursos y buenas prácticas más destacadas que se revelaron sobre el fomento de la inclusión para estos centros, siendo también muchas de ellas extrapolables a las escuelas de música y/o las agrupaciones musicales que integran ciegos. Se parte de las dificultades de la temática en la reducida bibliografía y que el profesorado de música no cuenta con la suficiente información, experiencia y formación previa para instruir a estudiantes invidentes (Chaves, Godall y Zattera, 2015; Chávez, 2010; Dias, 2010). La metodología de la investigación fue la etnografía a partir de un diálogo de saberes entre alumnado con discapacidad visual, sus familias y docentes junto a especialistas de este campo. Para la evaluación de los resultados se conectó con la metodología del “juicio de expertos”, que evaluaron las estrategias y los recursos. Finalmente esta investigación visibiliza las prácticas que son útiles para el desarrollo de una educación inclusiva musical para alumnado con discapacidad visual.

Rancang Bangun Perangkat Belajar Braille Elektronik Berbasis Raspberry Pi

The aim of the present research was to design and implement a braille electronic learning device for helping children who are blind in studying. The method used was an experimental method that includes the study of literature, the design process, the process of implementing tool manufacturing and also functional testing. This is made easier for blind people to learn to arrange words, translate words. The system designed consists of the Raspberry Pi as the main data processor, six push-buttons as input for braille codes, five push-buttons as control buttons, external MMC memory as a storage place for the operating system documents used by Raspberry Pi and also as a storage place for digital information such as applications that are made and also voices and the speaker functions as voice output, and also the LCD functions to display letters or numbers entered by users, it is only intended for teachers or instructors who can see when accompanying blind students. The overall system test results produce the expected output, which can speak words or numbers and translate words in two languages (Bahasa-English) correctly.

فعالية برنامج إرشادي لتنمية جودة الحياة لدى المکفوفين

تهدف الدراسة الحالية إلى التحقق من فعالية البرنامج إرشادي لتنمية جودة الحياة لدى المکفوفين، تکونت عينة الدراسة من اختيار عينة الدراسة الحالية وعددها (20) طالب من مکفوفين من الذکور من مدرسة عبدالله ابن ام مکتوم للمکفوفين، والذين حصلوا على درجة منخفضة على مقياس جودة الحياة، وتم تقسيم العينة عشوائيا الى مجموعتين. مجموعة الضابطة: وتکونت من (10) طلاب من المکفوفين، ومجموعة تجريبيه: وتکون من (10) طلاب من المکفوفين. تم تطبيق مقياس جودة الحياة للمکفوفين، البرنامج إرشادي، يتکون البرنامج من (22) جلسة، وبعد التأکد من الخصائص السيکومترية لأدوات الدراسة تم تطبيق الدراسة على أفراد عينة الدراسة، وأسفرت نتائج الدراسة عما يلي: وجود فروق ذات دلالة إحصائية عند مستوى دلالة (0.01) بين متوسطي رتب درجات أفراد المجموعتين التجريبية والضابطة على مقياس جودة الحياة لصالح أعضاء المجموعة التجريبية، وجود فروق دالة إحصائيا بين متوسطي رتب درجات أفراد المجموعة التجريبية في مقياس القبلي والبعدي على مقياس جودة الحياة. عدم وجود فروق دالة إحصائيا بين متوسطي رتب درجات أفراد المجموعة التجريبية في القياسين بين التطبيقين البعدي والتتبعي لمقياس جودة الحياة الکلمات المفتاحية: برنامج إرشادي-جودة الحياة - المکفوفين. Abstract It is the current study to verify the effectiveness of a counseling program to develop the quality of life for the blind. The study sample consisted of selecting the current study sample of (20) students from the blind male from Abdullah ibn Umm Maktoum School for the Blind, who received a low score on the quality of life scale, the sample was randomly divided into two groups. Control group: It consisted of (10) blind students, and an experimental group: It consisted of (10) blind students. The quality of life measure for the blind was implemented. The program is indicative. The program consists of (22) sessions, After confirming the psychometric properties of the study tools, the study was applied to the members of the study sample, and the results of the study resulted in the following: There are differences between the members of the experimental and control groups in developing quality of life between the members of the experimental group and the control group after application of the program for the benefit of the members of the experimental group, and the results showed retention Members of the experimental group by impact after measuring follow-up with a time difference (30) days after the end of the program on the quality of life scale. Key words: Extension Program, Quality of life, Blind.

Comparing the Effects of Group Training of Mindful Parenting Skills and Psychological Capital on Stress and Psychological Flexibility in Mothers with Blind Girl Students

Background: Mothers with a blind child are more involved with the child’s behavioral problems and experience higher levels of stress and psychological crisis. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of mindful parenting skills and psychological capital on stress and psychological flexibility in mothers with blind girls. Methods: The research method was quasi-experimental with a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up design and a control group. The sample consisted of 72 mothers with blind girl students selected by convenience sampling. We randomly divided the participants into two experimental groups (training of mindful parenting skills and psychological capital training) and a control group (n=24 per group). The research instrument included the Parental Stress Inventory and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire. Results: The training intervention sessions decreased the stress levels and promoted the psychological flexibility of mothers with blind girl students in the experimental groups, compared to the control group (P=0.001). The mean±SD of the post-test scores of stress and psychological flexibility was (90.37±5.10) and (63.00±3.78) in the mindful parenting group and (104.87±4.57) and (52.37±3.32) in the psychological capital group, which was significantly different from the control groups. The group training of mindful parenting skills, in comparison to psychological capital, was more effective in reducing stress and increasing psychological flexibility among the mothers. Conclusions: The group training of mindful parenting skills using mindfulness techniques was more effective in reducing stress and increasing the psychological flexibility.

Student Experience and Quality of Tertiary Education for Students with Disabilities in Lesotho

Access to tertiary education in the least developed countries, such as Lesotho, continues to be a rare experience for persons with disabilities who, despite being admitted to studies, struggle with meaningful participation. This article explores student experience of persons with disabilities studying at the National University of Lesotho. A combination of convenience and snowballing sampling techniques were used to recruit 15 staff members and 11 students enrolled in various programmes. A combination of individual semi-structured interviews and a focus group discussion were used to generate data. Findings reveal that various dimensions of student experiences are negatively affected. Students with disabilities encounter mobility challenges due to an inaccessible built environment; lecture timetables are not adapted to suit the needs of students with mobility challenges, blind students are not informed of potholes that are left uncovered and the students’ request for their hostel to be adapted is not addressed. Additionally, students are not readily supported by their lecturers while some are subjected to bullying which goes unpunished and the victims receive no counselling for the resultant trauma. These factors affect the students’ welfare and have an effect on their academic participation. The students are simply expected to conform to university practices. The summary of student experience, if used for assessment of quality education, demonstrates inequitable access to education for persons with disabilities. The study concludes that the institution provides poor-quality education as it fails to address the support needs of students with disabilities. The study recommends development of policies and practices that promote equity, and that student experience can be used to inform how the institution may improve access and the quality of its programmes. Equally, this study challenges students with disabilities to assert their right to an inclusive and equitable quality education.

DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF LEARNING TOOLS TO READ THE BRAILLE LETTERS BASED ON VOICE PROCESSING AND ARDUINO USING MEL FREQUENCY CEPSTRAL COEFFICIENT AND K-NEAREST NEIGHBOR METHOD

Ability to read Braille is critical skill for blind students. Without the skill, blind students would encounter difficulties in their learning activities because most learning materials are written using the Braille system. The currently applied Braille learning system uses printed paper that is time consuming and pricey. This research attempts to develop a tool for helping the blinds to learn how to read braille letters. The tool processes inputs in the form of speech signal into a text by applying Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficient (MFCC) as a feature extraction method and K- Nearest Neighbor (KNN) as a classifier method. The text will subsequently be transformed into Braille pattern by using Arduino UNO. The test results discover the combination of Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficient and K-Nearest Neighbor method are able to recognize the speech signal of different alphabets with 87,3% accuracy. Furthermore, the computing time for alphabet recognitions decreases 85 % when the device is applied This finding helps the blind students to recognize the alphabets easily and faster.

Handicapés et confinés en résidence universitaire : des étudiants oubliés, à l’épreuve de « la continuité pédagogique »

The health crisis due to the outbreak of Coronavirus since the beginning of 2020 has strongly exposed the effect of decades of public service cuts in France, especially in the fields of education or health. Although the French President has recently declared that the living conditions of people with disabilities were a “national priority”, this issue has not been addressed by public authorities while managing the current crisis. This article analyses and helps to understand the situation of young people with disabilities living in student residences in lockdown for about two months, an issue that has been overlooked. The case study is based on a series of interviews with Joseph, a blind Master's student, and some of his relatives. It looks back on Joseph's experience and academic career, his living conditions in lockdown, his difficulties in coping with distance learning, as well as the resources and support he gets to be able to live and get through.

PENINGKATAN RANCANGAN WAYFINDING (MENEMUKAN JALAN) UNTUK SEKOLAH PENYANDANG DISABILITAS VISUAL DI SURABAYA DAN PELUANG PENGEMBANGANNYA UNTUK BANGUNAN PUBLIK LAINNYA


 
 
 Title: Wayfinding Design Improvement for the Blind School in Surabaya and Development Opportunities for Other Public Buildings
 Yayasan Pendidikan Anak Buta (Blind Children Education Foundation or YPAB) Special Junior High School in Surabaya is a dedicated institution for teaching blind students. Unfortunately, the school is found less accessible for the blind because it was designed for the farming school with spread buildings’ footprints in the 1970s. A literature review and accessibility evaluation conclude that besides architecture improvement, a small architectural model is needed to teach the students to be able to conduct orientation and mobility. The model should be accessible to blind students, total blind and low vision, with various information such as voice, braille, contrasting colour, and tactile marking. This architecture model is designed in collaboration of YP AB teachers, Architecture Program Study, Electrical Program Study of Petra Christian University and Prototype Studio. The model is created with laser cutting and equipped with electronic circuits for the voice of wayfinding instructions for blind students. The model is found improving the blind students to practice orientation and mobility in the school. Further research pursues improving public building wayfinding for the blind persons as described in the State Library of Queensland (SLQ).
 
 

Aplicação de acessibilidade em produtos educacionais: um exemplo prático

O presente artigo teve por objetivo apresentar orientações para aplicação de acessibilidade em produtos educacionais para alunos surdos e cegos, conforme estabelece a Lei nº 10.098/2000 – Lei da Acessibilidade. A metodologia adotada para a construção deste trabalho fora a revisão bibliográfica de autores e dispositivos normativos que tratam sobre o direito e acesso à educação inclusiva, tendo como referência principal o produto de Queiroz e Guerreiro (2017). Como resultado do trabalho apresenta-se um exemplo prático da construção de aplicação de acessibilidade em produtos educacionais que contou com a formação de uma equipe multidisciplinar, planejamento para ações desenvolvidas e seleção de recursos utilizados. Potencializar a educação inclusiva de forma integral é garantir o direito de acesso à educação com qualidade e promover o discente à condição de cidadão pleno com seus diretos garantidos.

English Spelling Errors Committed by the Blind

Despite the outgrowing trend on assistive technology assisting blind student to be fully participate in education, the challenges remain in the area of English language learning. The inconsistency of the sound-spelling relationship in English apparently triggers the spelling problems for the Blind student since he tends to encode syllables by as it sounded. This study aims to identify, classify and analyze the spelling errors committed by the blind students in learning English using the classification of NEFR (National Foundation for Educational Research) that comprises the aspects of omissions, substitutions, insertions, transpositions and grapheme substitution. Employing case study design, this research elaborate the spelling error committed by 1 blind EFL learner enrolling an Academic Writing course in English Language Education Program, Faculty of Cultural Studies, Universitas Brawijaya, Indonesia. The findings expose that the blind students tend to frequently do spelling error in the aspect of grapheme substitution followed by omissions, substitutions, and insertion. Some contributive factors that presumably affecting the errors are (1) lack exposure to the formation of the words, (2) inherent of language (silent letter, homophone and borrowing words), (3) different characteristics of L1 and L2, and (4) student’s preferences on reading (use screen reader more than braille text). Thus, the exposure toward phonetics symbol and the sound-letter relationship in English should be more disseminated so the blind student is capable of having a correct spelling.