Experiences, Perceptions, and Conceptions of Students with Visual Impairment in Mathematics Classes: the challenges underlying the process of school inclusion

Abstract

This paper presents the experiences, perceptions, and conceptions of three High School students with Visual Impairment (VI), from three different units of the same public-school system. With the referential support of the ideas that defend the institutionalization and the consolidation of inclusion processes through the development of inclusion policies, cultures, and practices, we carried out semi-structured interviews, in search of a holistic scene on the issues involving availability and use (or not) of didactic resources and Assistive Technology, the strategies and methodologies followed in Mathematics teaching, and the issues that pervade Special Education Support Service (SESS). As a result, advances are noticed in terms of access to schools and the availability of materials and resources suitable for the schooling of students with VI, although these are not used in regular classes. In addition, the teachers’ unpreparedness and the lack of professionals trained in Special Education in the researched schools lead students to play the role of listeners in classroom. We also noted assessments with a lower level than those proposed to other students, in addition to a substitute role by SESS, thus resuming the integration model, theoretically already surpassed in Brazilian education. By giving a voice to the students, we hope that the reports of their experiences can contribute to deepen the debates and reflections on the inclusion process and, above all, promote equity in Math classes for students with VI.