Abstract

This piece of work entitled “Strategies of Accommodating Visually Impaired Students in Inclusive Classrooms” is aimed to identify strategies for accommodating visually impaired students in inclusive classrooms. To ascertain how physical (infrastructural) factor influences the accommodation of visually impaired students in inclusive classrooms. To investigate how teacher’s modification of instruction influences the accommodation of visually impaired students in inclusive classrooms. To investigate how the use of quality experts (personnel) influences the accommodation of visually impaired students in inclusive classrooms.

At the onset of the study, three research hypotheses were set out for onward verification and subsequent retention or rejection. After a compilation and computation of various responses obtained from respondents, the following findings were summarized: Physical and infrastructural factors significantly influenced the accommodation of visually impaired students in inclusive classrooms in the Kumbo central subdivision.

Teacher’s modification of instruction significantly influenced the accommodation of visually impaired students in inclusive classrooms in Kumbo central subdivision. The use of quality experts (personnel) significantly influences the accommodation of visually impaired students in inclusive classrooms in the Kumbo central subdivision.

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Introduction

The term education is derived from one of the other two Latin words namely: “Educare” and “educere”. The Latin word “educare” is translated as to rear or to train. That is bringing up children through character training and discipline so that they live up to some standards set by society. On the other hand, “educere” means to lead or to bring out. By “educere”, it means the provision of conditions that will help the child’s nature to unfold or help bring out the best in the child. Education is a process that involves the constant unveiling of reality (Tambo, 2003).

Special education is an aspect within the framework of general education that provides appropriate facilities, specialized materials, methods, and teachers with specialized training for teaching those children who have deviated either positively or negatively from the normal way of doing things. This group of people may be classified into three categories namely:  the disabled, the disadvantaged, and the gifted or talented (Ozoji, 2005).

This chapter discusses the background of the study, the statement of the problem, and the purpose of the study. It presents research questions hypotheses and discusses the significance of the study as well as delimitations of the study and defines key operational terms.

Background of the study

In 1948 the United Nation passed a declaration on human rights one of which was the right to education for all citizens in spite the challenges imposed by disabilities. To train young Cameroonians with visual impairments in arts and crafts the Ministry of Social Affairs created the Rehabilitation Institute for the Blind (RIB) popularly known as Bulu Centre for the blind in Buea.

The Cameroon Baptist Convention (CBC) also created the Integrated School for the Blind in Kumbo and the Catholic Mission also created the St. Joseph’s Children and Adults Home at Mambu in Bafut (SAJOCAH). These and many more centers across the country offer both vocational and braille training to visually impaired persons. In 1989 the United Nations concerting on the right of the child declared the right to education for children with disabilities (Article 23).

The member states of the 1990 Jomtien convention agreed that each and every citizen of the nations represented must be enrolled in school. In response to the agreement by member states of the UN, Cameroon parliament in 1983 enacted a law on the wellbeing of persons with disabilities. Equally, it was stated in the 1990 text of application that education of persons with disabilities will take place in special and ordinary schools.

In 1986 the ministry of National Education in support of the 1983 law, issued a circular letter which stated that punishment will be mated to any headteacher who refuses to enroll a child with disabilities in his/her educational institution. The conditions for implementing this law were laid down in Decree No. 90/1516 of 26 November 1990. In 1994, the UN issued another decree on the Equalization of opportunities for children with disabilities and one of the areas to practice equal opportunity is in schools.

And so in Cameroon today, the education of students with visual impairment and other disabilities is done in regular schools. In 2005 the African group meeting was held in Yaoundé to adopt a common front on Inclusive Education to be taken to the main meeting in Geneva. They talked about African realities which placed a lot of impact on African attitudes towards persons with disabilities especially the visually impaired (Yuh & Shey, 2008).

In an attempt to respond to the pathway to inclusive education which is not yet in Cameroon, Cameroon educational institutions have opened their doors to educate some persons with disabilities including the visually impaired in regular schools, but the strategies of accommodating visually impaired students in regular classrooms.

Strategy is a plan intended to achieve a particular purpose, it could equally be defined as a plan of action intended to accomplish a specific goal. In Cameroon schools, the strategies of accommodating visually impaired learners in regular schools is a cause for concern, while both the visually impaired and the sighted can be taught the same subjects the former needs Braille instructions, orientation and mobility training, and typewriters (Ozoji & Mugu 1999).

These materials have a great influence on the strategies that can be used to accommodate visually impaired learners in inclusive classrooms.

Statement of the problem

The strategies of accommodating visually impaired students are aspects that can either encourage visually impaired students to or discourage them from being enrolled in regular schools. The study, therefore, aims at investigating the strategies of accommodating visually impaired students in inclusive classrooms in the Jakiri subdivision, Bui division of the North West Region of Cameroon.

Purpose of the study

The accommodation of visually impaired students requests for policies that involve understanding and active participation by all and sundry. Therefore the ability to encourage inclusive education depends on the choice of adopting appropriate strategies that are bound to advocate education for all. Hence the purpose of this study was to unveil strategies for accommodating visually impaired students in inclusive classrooms.

The objective of the study

The general objective of the study

To identify strategies for accommodating visually impaired students in inclusive classrooms.

Specific objectives of the study

1. To ascertain how physical (infrastructural) factor influences the accommodation of visually impaired students in inclusive classrooms.
2. To investigate how teacher’s modification of instruction influences the accommodation of visually impaired students in inclusive classrooms.
3. To investigate how the use of quality experts (personnel) influences the accommodation of visually impaired students in inclusive classrooms.