Thesis (M.Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes special report study entitled : Architecture and orientation & mobility training. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

Thesis (M.S.)--State University of New York College at Brockport, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 68-71).

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Thesis (MEdPsych (Educational Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH SUMMARY: The research problem of this study is how learners with visual impairments are included in a Namibian mainstream secondary school. This study is important since Namibia is new in the inclusion process of learners with visual impairments. This process was made a priority by the Ministry of Education in Namibia since a special school for the blind in Namibia only offers education up to Grade 10. With this study I aimed to analyse and describe how a group of learners with visual impairments were included in a mainstream secondary school. I therefore aimed to analyse the nature of support as well as the adaptations and accommodations made for the learners with visual impairments; and describe the culture and context of the school community using the opinions and experiences of the participants in the study. In order to obtain the opinions and experiences of the participants in a detailed, descriptive and in-depth manner, I designed a qualitative case study with a mainstream secondary school where the learners with visual impairments were integrated as the „bounded system‟. I purposefully selected the participants and used semi-structured interviews, non-participant observation, and the gathering of artefacts in order to obtain in-depth and rich data from multiple perspectives. From the research it was found that even though the learners with visual impairments are now physically integrated in the mainstream classes, they are not yet truly included. The teaching methods and materials are not adequately adapted for them and the physical environments within the classes and school grounds are also not yet truly accessible for them. The teachers are not adequately supported and trained, and the parents of most of the learners with visual impairments as well as the community are not involved in the learners‟ schooling. The school needs relevant resources as well as a change of attitudes – teachers and peers are often negative towards the learners with visual impairments and do not understand the rationale behind inclusive education. However, there are exceptions to this – the Grade 11 class of 2009 have accepted the learners with visual impairments in contrast to the classes before them. Finally, the policies that were developed by the country do not provide clear and practical guidelines of how to make inclusive education a reality in Namibia. I hope that the findings of this study will be of valuable use to the particular school and to the Ministry of Education with regard to the school‟s progress in the inclusion of the learners with visual impairments. Key Concepts: inclusion, disability, impairments, visual impairment, visual disability, blindness, and partially sighted. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die navorsingsprobleem van hierdie studie is hoe leerders met gesiggestremdhede ingesluit word in „n hoofstroom sekondêre skool in Namibië. Die navorsing is belangrik aangesien inklusiewe onderwys „n nuwe innovasie in Namibië is. Die insluitingvan leerders met gesiggestremdhede was „n prioriteit van die Ministerie van Onderwys, aangesien die skool vir blindes in Namibië (Windhoek) net onderrig verskaf van Graad 1 tot Graad 10. Die Graad 11 en 12 leerders moes dus vanaf 2006 ingesluit word in „n hoofstroom sekondêre skool. Met hierdie studie het ek beoog om die konsep van inklusie asook die beleidsdokumente aangaande inklusie in Namibië te analiseer; om die tipe asook die wyse van ondersteuning vir hierdie groep leerders met gesiggestremdhede te analiseer en beskryf; en om die kultuur en konteks van die skool te beskryf met behulp van die perspektiewe en ondervindinge van die deelnemers in my studie. Ek het„n kwalitatiewe gevallestudie ontwerp om „n ryk, digte beskrywing te verseker. Die deelnemers is doelbewus gekies ten einde in-diepte en spesifieke perspektiewe en ondervindinge te verkry. Die metodes wat gebruik is vir data-insameling sluit semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude, nie-deelnemende waarneming en dokumente-analise in. Hierdie studie het bevind dat alhoewel die leerders met gesiggestremdhede fisies in die hoofstroomklasse geïntegreer is, hul nog nie waarlik ingesluit word in die hoofstroomskool nie. Die onderrigmetodes word nie genoegsaam aangepas nie en die leerders benodig meer hulpbronne en toerusting om gehalte leer te verseker. Die onderwysers het nie voldoende opleiding om kinders met gesiggestremdhede te onderrig nie en die ouers van die leerders met gesigsgestremdheid en gemeenskap is nie genoeg betrokke by die skool en die leerders nie. Nie die klaskamers of die skoolgronde is toegangklik vir die leerders met gesiggestremdhede nie en die houdings van beide onderwysers en leerders is met enkele uitsonderings negatief teenoor die leerders met gesiggestremdhede. Ten slotte, die nasionale beleidsdokumente aangaande inklusie gee nie praktiese maniere hoe om inklusiewe onderwys „n werkliheid te maak nie. Ek hoop dat die bevindinge van hierdie studie van waarde sal wees vir die spesifieke skool asook vir die Ministerie van Onderwys in die ontwikkeling van inklusiewe onderwys. Sleutelkonsepte: Inklusie, gestremdheid, beperking, gesiggestremdheid, visuele beperking, blindheid, en swak sig.

People with disabilities including people with visual impairments experienced severe forms of discrimination, isolation and separation. They were perceived as people with deficits and in need of help. They were separated from the. society as they were considered to be inadequate people. The discriminative practices against people with disabilities and the doctrines of apartheid that contributed to discrimination and separation on racial differences resulted in black people with disabilities being doubly handicapped. The discrimination against people with disabilities is largely associated with the adherence to the medical model and deficit theory to disability. However the current trends which support the Social Rights model to disability which is consistent with the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and its Bill of Rights (Constitutional Court, 1996), adopts an inclusive approach and promotes equal rights and equal opportunity for all people, including people with disabilities. This commits the University to enrolling students with disabilities and providing equal education opportunities for them The late commitment, which was guided by the Constitution (Constitutional Court, 1996), resulted in the lack of resources. Lack of support services and stereotypical attitudes contributed to academic barriers to learning by students with visual impairment and students with disabilities. This study explores the barriers encountered by students with visual impairments studying at the University of Natal. A qualitative case study approach was adopted in this study, whereby eight subjects who were visually impaired at the University of Natal were interviewed using a semi structured questionnaire, exploring the barriers they encountered with their academic studies. The findings reveal that there are numerous barriers which students with visual impairments encountered with their studies at the University of Natal. However, acknowledgement is made on the commitment by the University to address these special needs of students with visual impairments. Recommendations are made to address the academic barriers encountered by visually impaired students. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2002.

Students with visual impairments are often confronted with major challenges at tertiary institutions. This dissertation investigated how students with visual impairments interact in an educational environment that is not designed with their needs in mind. This study further highlighted some of the challenges faced by students with visual impairments at the University of Kwazulu-Natal (Westville Campus) from adequately achieving their academic goals. It also afforded the students with visual impairments an opportunity to become involved in the process of evaluating, planning and bringing about changes in the services that directly affected them. Further it is the intention that the findings of this study will increase the understanding of the university community of the needs of students with visual impairments. This study was exploratory in design as the purpose was to collect as much data as possible in this area of study. A qualitative method using the non probability sampling method was used. This method allowed for the use of the researcher's judgement in identifying and selecting the respondents for the sample group. The sample consisted of 16 students with visual impairments registered at the Westville Campus during the period 2003-2004. To ensure that the respondents understood the procedure of the investigation, the contents of the consent form was made available in alternate format. This is in keeping with the principles of consultation, negotiation, agreement and co- ownership of the research study. In the analysis of this study the information was gathered primarily from an in-depth interview with a schedule. The findings indicated some of the major challenges experienced by students with visual impairments. These were primarily access to academic material, limited human and technological resources, implementation of accommodations during examinations and negative attitude of some members of staff. Recommendations to meet the students' needs focused on university wide education and awareness programmes. Hence, faculties will have to play an important role in facilitating the entry and success of students with visual impairments by making a paradigm shift from the medical/individual explanation of visual disabilities to understanding systemic deficiencies located within the barriers to teaching, learning and support. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Waikato, 2007. / Title from PDF cover (viewed February 25, 2009) Includes bibliographical references (p. 94-98)

The study sought to investigate on the learning support provision for learners with visual impairment at a senior secondary school in Botswana. The objectives of the study were to describe and explain the learning support provided to the learners with visual impairment at the school and to suggest ways for improving the learning support services to the learners. The study is qualitative in nature. The target population was the school community and its stakeholders. Data was collected using document study, interviews and observation. Qualitative data analysis was employed extensively through descriptions. The research study findings established that there are a variety of learning support programmes provided to learners with visual impairment at the school to enhance their understanding of the academic material. The learning support programmes range from counselling, guidance, advisory, consultancy, assessment, physical orientation of the environment, the school curriculum, tactile orientation of graphically presented learning materials to mention but a few. However, these learning support programmes are not adequate and effective enough to help the learners perform better academically. The shortage of human and material resources especially in the recent past has negatively influenced the performance of learners with visual impairment. There are also main areas of weaknesses such as lack of adequate stakeholder consultation and involvement in the planning and implementation of special educational programmes. The study recommends that partnership between the school and its stakeholders be improved. It is also important that the entire school community and stakeholders be involved in thoughtful, carefully researched learning support programmes. Large class sizes, imbalances in resource provision, counselling services and low production rate of learning and teaching materials at the Resource Centre all need serious attention. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

This research focuses on the grief and emotional reactions, especially frustration, of adventitiously visually impaired adults following loss of sight. The traditional grief-following loss theory with the assumption of a time-limited linear grief process, accompanied by diminishing emotions and culminating with acceptance and adjustment has been challenged. Chronic grief assumes a recurrent and continuous grief process, accompanied by increased emotions associated with continual losses related to a chronic loss, such as visual impairment. The question of whether there is a relation between length of time of adventitious visual impairment and the healing affect of time on grief and frustrations has been examined by quantitative and qualitative investigations. The answer to the question of whether time changes and heals everything is not necessarily the case. As always there are more questions than answers, and this research provides further insight into the real world of adventitious visual impairment. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Thesis (MA)-- Stellenbosch University, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The experience of fear is a normal phenomenon in the development of children. However, the often marginalised population of children with visual impairments, is one which has been neglected in past fear research. As far as could be ascertained, no research assessing the fears of children with visual impairments has been carried out the past 18 years, and studies within the South African context are non-existent. Previous research has suggested that children, who have a physical disability, are more prone to the development of a psychopathology than their non-disabled peers. It has also been suggested that, due to their physical limitations, children with visual impairments would express a higher prevalence of anxiety and fear. Therefore it is important to identify these children's fears, to enable those involved in their day-to-day lives to gain a greater understanding of their emotional world. The present study aimed to determine whether significant differences exist between the fear profiles of middle-childhood South African children with visual impairments when compared to their sighted counterparts. A differential research design was employed, and results were examined across the four independent variables of gender, age, culture, and vision. A total of 129 assenting children from three schools in the Western Cape participated in the present study, including 67 children with varying degrees of visual impairments, and 62 gender- and age-matched controls. All the children were administered a short biographical questionnaire and Burkhardt's (2007) child friendly South African Fear Survey Schedule for Children (FSSC-SA). The administration of these measures was adapted according to the children's degree of visual impairment. Results of the FSSC-SA indicated that the most feared item for the children with visual impairments was “Fire - getting burned”, while the children without visual impairments feared “Getting HIV” the most. The 10 most common fears related mainly to situations in which the possibility of danger and harm is present, with the majority of fears loading onto Factor I (fear of danger and death) of the FSSC-SA. Consistent with previous research, gender differences were apparent across number, level, and pattern of fear, with girls consistently being more fearful than boys. There was no significant relationship between age or culture and self-reported fear. In terms of the three sub-groups of visually impaired children, the children with severe visual impairment reported the highest number and level of fear. However, in general terms, the fear profiles of the two overall groups (children with and children without visual impairments) did not differ significantly, thus showing that the worlds, in which these children live, are not as different as was originally anticipated. In conclusion the present study's contributions as well as shortcomings are discussed, along with recommendations for future research. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Vrees is 'n normale ervaring tydens die ontwikkeling van kinders, alhoewel die gemarginaliseerde populasie van kinders met visuele gestremdhede een is wat dikwels in navorsing oor vrees afgeskeep is. So ver as wat die navorser kon vasstel, is geen studies oor hierdie populasie die afgelope 18 jaar uitgevoer nie, en studies binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks bestaan glad nie. Vorige navorsing stel voor dat kinders met gestremdhede meer geneig is tot die ontwikkeling van psigopatologie as kinders sonder 'n gestremdheid in hul portuurgroep. Daar is ook voorgestel dat kinders met visuele gestremdhede as gevolg van hul fisieke beperkinge meer vrees en angs sal toon. Dit is dus belangrik om hierdie kinders se vrese te identifiseer, sodat die mense wat by hul alledaagse lewe betrokke is, 'n beter begrip vir hul emosionele wêreld kan hê. Die doel van die onderhawige studie was om vas te stel of daar beduidende verskille tussen die vreesprofiele van middelkinderjare-kinders met visuele gestremdhede bestaan in vergelyking met hul siende portuurs. Die studie het 'n differensiële navorsingsontwerp gevolg, en die resultate is bestudeer aan die hand van vier onafhanklike veranderlikes, naamlik geslag, ouderdom, kultuur en visie. 'n Totaal van 129 instemmende kinders van drie skole in die Wes-Kaap het deelgeneem aan die onderhawige studie. Die steekproef het 67 kinders met verskillende vlakke van visuele gestremdheid ingesluit, sowel as 62 kinders van vergelykbare ouderdom en geslag in die kontrolegroep. Die deelnemers moes 'n kort biografiese vraelys invul, sowel as Burkhardt (2007) se kindervriendelike Suid-Afrikaanse Vreesopnameskedule vir Kinders (FSSC-SA). Die toepassing van die meetinstrumente is aangepas volgens die kinders se graad van visuele gestremdheid. Resultate van die FSSC-SA het getoon dat kinders met visuele gestremdhede die meeste vrees getoon het vir “Vuur - om te verbrand”, terwyl die mees gevreesde item vir die kinders sonder visuele gestremdhede, die vrees “Om MIV op te doen” was. Die 10 algemeenste vrese het veral verband gehou met situasies waar daar 'n moontlikheid bestaan van gevaar of seerkry, en die meeste van hierdie items het meestal op Faktor I (vrees vir gevaar en die dood) gelaai. In ooreenstemming met vorige navorsing, het geslagsverskille duidelik geblyk ten opsigte van die aantal, vlak en patroon van vrees, met dogters wat konsekwent meer vrees as seuns vermeld het. Daar was geen beduidende verhouding tussen ouderdom of kultuur en self-gerapporteerde vrese nie. Ten opsigte van die drie subgroepe waarin die kinders met visuele gestremdhede ingedeel was, het die kinders met 'n ernstige visuele gestremdheid die hoogste aantal en vlakke van vrees gerapporteer. Oor die algemeen het die vreesprofiele van die twee oorhoofse groepe (kinders met en kinders sonder visuele gestremdhede) nie beduidend verskil nie, en dus blyk dit dat die wêrelde waarin hierdie twee groepe leef, nie so verskillend is as wat aanvanklik gedink is nie. Ten slotte, word die waarde en tekortkominge van die onderhawige studie bespreek, sowel as aanbevelings vir toekomstige navorsing voorgestel.