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.

Research studies have indicated that people with disabilities in South Africa and across the world have difficulties in securing employment. The medical approach towards disability contributes to the negative attitudes, ignorance and stereotypes employers have about people with disabilities. The aim of the study was to explore the employment experiences of students with disabilities who have studied at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. The lack of previous research on this issue at UKZN motivated the researcher to undertake this research. Furthermore, since the researcher is a disability officer at UKZN, a number of students with disabilities had raised their employment frustrations with her which gave further motivation to investigate the underlying reasons. A qualitative research method was used to undertake this study. The sample used was an availability sample, comprising 21 interview subjects with disabilities who had graduated from UKZN in the period 2001-2006. An ecosystem perspective was used as a framework to guide the study. The major conclusion of this study is that the majority of participants interviewed had difficulties in securing employment. Employers were reluctant to employ them, apparently fearing that they would not be able to cope on the job and because there might be additional costs incurred if they were employed. Visually disabled study participants also experienced difficulty accessing job advertisements. Inaccessibility of transport to access interviews and workplaces were a further obstacle for participants. The study also discovered that the limited number of subjects offered at high school impacted on the choice of tertiary courses participants wanted to take at the university as a result this caused dissatisfaction with degrees they obtained. The findings in this study are consistent with a number of similar studies which revealed that people with disabilities are confronted with challenges in obtaining work. Regardless of established policies and programmes, unemployment among people with disabilities still persists. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

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.

This research study was designed to determine the attitudes, and perceptions of Indiana high school principals concerning implementation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The sample consisted of Indiana high school principals who held membership in the Indiana Association of School Principals. There were 222 high school principals who were requested to complete an on-line survey; 105 principals responded, which generated a response rate of 47 %.The Section 504 on-line survey was modified from an instrument in California in which the researcher studied the attitudes and perceptions of elementary school administrators (Williams, 2003).The data were analyzed, depending upon the variable, with a standard analysis of variance (ANOVA) or t-test design. Demographical data and survey responses were subjected to statistical analyses based upon the research hypothesis being examined. Demographical data collected from high school principals were degree earned, type of license, years of experience, gender, size of the school, whether the principal was responsible for implementing Section 504 plans, and if the principal categorized his school as rural, suburban, or urban.Results showed significance for high school size and whether the high school principal was responsible for implementing Section 504 plans. As high schools increased in the number of students, there was a need for principals to have additional training in implementing Section 504 plans. Another significant finding was that principals believe students with disabilities benefit educationally from having Section 504 plans at minimalcosts to their school corporations. However, principals also have a slightly negative attitude towards implementing Section 504 plans. Possible reasons for these results were discussed and a need for further research was offered. / Department of Educational Leadership

The purpose of this exploratory study was to look at the perceptions of Indiana’s special and general education administrators and teachers regarding service delivery and instructional models used with secondary students with emotional disabilities (ED) and the transitional outcomes for this population of students. Study participants were provided an electronic survey using Ball State’s inQsit software program. Demographic data (i.e. age, gender, and ethnicity) were collected along with school size and educational roundtable location. Study participants were asked to report which service delivery (placement) and instructional (personnel) models were currently being used with their students with ED and also what transitional outcome (i.e. graduating with a diploma) best summarized their students with emotional disabilities. Respondents rated the effectiveness of current placements and personnel used with their students using a Likert-type scale. The study found that administrators and teachers regardless of specialty area perceived their students with ED being educated in the regular classroom or resource room. They also indicated this service delivery model was effective. In regards to personnel, the teacher with paraprofessional support was still reported as the dominant choice for instructional model and was perceived as being effective. Respondents also reported that their students with ED were leaving school with a diploma or certificate of completion. However, over 15% of respondents indicated their students with ED were dropping out of school. The study recommended follow up research to investigate current curriculums used to provide instruction to students with emotional disabilities. Survey participant size (n=245) was considered too small to make generalizations, but the study provides useful insight into potential future research. / Department of Special Education

Students with learning disabilities have been attending postsecondary education in increasing numbers since the early 1990’s. Improvements in secondary education services, legal rights to reasonable accommodations, and college services for these students have been credited with this increase (Browning, 1997; Flexer, Simmons, Luft, & Baer, 2005; Hallahan & Kauffman, 2006; PL 93-12, Wilkinson & Rund, 2000). Legal mandates have stressed that secondary service providers must create services that prepare these students for adult life and postsecondary education options (Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act, 2004). This study examined the perspective of secondary teachers/administrators and postsecondary service providers in Indiana to determine their awareness and perception of key skills related to postsecondary success for students with learning disabilities in institutions of higher education. Factors examined were related to academic, social, self-determination/advocacy, and emotional readiness. / Department of Special Education

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Leadership and Foundations. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- Mississippi State University. Department of Curriculum and Instruction. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Submitted by Aelson Maciera (aelsoncm@terra.com.br) on 2017-08-03T18:52:16Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DissACM.pdf: 2893822 bytes, checksum: e30051564f914337bae16acd5014d337 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ronildo Prado (ronisp@ufscar.br) on 2017-08-08T14:16:12Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissACM.pdf: 2893822 bytes, checksum: e30051564f914337bae16acd5014d337 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Ronildo Prado (ronisp@ufscar.br) on 2017-08-08T14:16:17Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissACM.pdf: 2893822 bytes, checksum: e30051564f914337bae16acd5014d337 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-08T14:20:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DissACM.pdf: 2893822 bytes, checksum: e30051564f914337bae16acd5014d337 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-02-15 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / This research aims to analyze, in three cities of the countryside region of Sao Paulo State, the school trajectory of students with disabilities. In order to do that, we did an official data survey of the cities released by Seade, Human Development Atlas with demographic census data of 2010 and the Municipal Education Plans. Thereafter, we analyzed the micro-data of School Census of Basic Education— made available by INEP (National Institute of Studies and Educational Researches Anísio Teixeira), of the Ministry of Education— regarding the registration of students with disabilities in the years from 2007 to 2015. Thus, we would be able to map the school trajectory of these students. In this study, to choose the cities, we used the following criteria: one city with a high Human Development Index (HDI); one city with an average Human Development Index and one with a very low HDI. 1,782 school trajectories of students with disabilities were analyzed individually and the results show that there are no disparities between the indexes of complete, partial and incomplete trajectories with school retention and age x grade distortion between the cities. This may indicate the adoption of programs, services and/or similar actions for the schooling of this population. We hope that this study can contribute to the discussion in the academic community about the educational reality faced by students with disabilities and, also, contribute to program and policies formulation that aim to establish the permanency and the school success of these students / A presente pesquisa tem como objetivo analisar em três municípios do interior paulista a trajetória escolar dos alunos com deficiência. Para isso, foram realizados levantamentos de dados oficiais dos municípios divulgados pelo Seade, Atlas do Desenvolvimento Humano com dados do Censo Demográfico de 2010 e nos Planos Municipais de Educação. Em seguida, analisaram-se os Microdados do Censo Escolar da Educação Básica, disponibilizados pelo Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacional Anísio Teixeira - INEP, do Ministério da Educação, referentes às matriculas de alunos com deficiência nos anos de 2007 a 2015, mapeando assim, a trajetória escolar desses alunos. Neste estudo, para a escolha dos municípios, utilizou-se o critério: um município com muito alto Índice de Desenvolvimento Humano - IDH; um município com IDH mediano e um município com muito baixo IDH. Foram analisadas 1.782 trajetórias escolares de alunos com deficiência individualmente e os resultados mostram que não há disparidade entre os índices de trajetórias completas, parciais e incompletas com retenção escolar e distorção idade x série entre os municípios, o que pode indicar adoção de programas, serviços e/ou ações similares para a escolarização dessa população. Espera-se que esse estudo possa contribuir para discussões no meio acadêmico sobre a realidade educacional enfrentada pelos alunos com deficiência e contribuir para a formulação de programas e políticas que visem à efetivação da permanência e sucesso escolar deste alunado.

Inclusive Education (IE) reflects the values, ethos, and culture of an education system committed to excellence by promoting education opportunities for all learners. IE is about building a more just society and ensuring the right to education for all learners regardless of their individual characteristics or difficulties (UNESCO: 2007). The kingdom of Swaziland has committed itself to high quality basic education which provides equal opportunities for all children and youth. This is evident in the Swaziland National Constitution (2006). To promote Education for All (EFA) as stated in the constitution, an IE Policy has been developed and a draft policy is in place. The programme has been operational since 2006. There are nine pilot schools and four teachers from each school who have been trained on how to handle pupils with disabilities. The programme will be rolled out to 608 primary schools by 2015. In this research, the goal was to investigate how a School Management Board responds to the challenges of managing an Inclusive School. This research is a qualitative interpretive case study based in one of the pilot schools in Mbabane in Swaziland. The study used document analysis, semi‐structured interviews and focus groups to collect data. The study revealed that the school has done much in accommodating IE as there are changes in management structures and approaches, organizational culture and operating procedures. On the other hand, there are still significant challenges such as a lack of knowledge of inclusion and negativity on the part of learners and parents. Other challenges include inadequate training for educators and lack of suitable infrastructure. The study concludes by recommending improved staff development programmes, infrastructure upgrades, acquiring appropriate teaching and learning resources and employing multidisciplinary personnel.