Main barriers to educational inclusion and foreign language teaching for visually impaired students in Paraguay
Keywords:
inclusive education, visual impairment, barriers of access, foreign languageAbstract
The aim of this article is to describe the information gathered from 27 professionals who work with learners with visual impairment - LVI – about the main barriers to educational and social inclusion, and the access to foreign language learning. To do so, we conducted an exploratory research with a qualitative approach, and applied surveys and non-participant observation in three specialized educational institutions, located in Asunción, Paraguay. Among the barriers mentioned by these professionals, the following stand out: the rejection, disinterest and lack of training of mainstream teachers; the scarcity of school resources; the lack of support or overprotection of families and; the irregular assistance to the specialized institutions. Regarding foreign language teaching, the difficulties they encountered relate to the access to instructional resources adapted to the needs of the ADV in the country, and the evaluation of the reading comprehension and written expression of the students in the language.
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