Teaching blind students in regular school classes

Organization: ONCE Foundation
Country of Implementation: Spain
Region: Europe
Subregion: Western Europe
First published: 31.01.2016

The mission of the project is to provide visually impaired students with assistive technology and specific support teams so that they can participate in regular classes. Regardless of age or educational stage, these teams support students with special needs from early intervention to the university level and adulthood.

ED. Madrid (C. A. Madrid). 21/06/10.- Reportaje Educación a niños del Centro de Recursos Educativos de la ONCE en Madrid - CRE — Every participant of the programme goes through a process of reception and multi-professional assessment.

Solution details

People

Ana Isabel RUIZ LOPEZ

“Inclusive Education for people with disabilities is a lever for their social inclusion.” Ms. Ana Isabel Ruiz Lopez, Director of Education, Employment, and Cultural Promotion of the National Organization of the Spanish Blind (ONCE)

Problems Targeted

Students with visual impairments often do not have equal opportunities in their local education system. The lack of understanding and support to allow them to live an independent and self-determined life contributes to their sense of exclusion, and as a result they often cannot determine their own future.

Solution, Innovation and Impact

ONCE supports students with disabilities to remain in their social environment (family, community, etc.) and in mainstream classrooms. Every participant of the programme goes through a process of reception and multi-professional assessment, from which an individualized plan of action is generated. The plan is directed and coordinated by one professional. In the case of education, the case coordinator is a teacher. He/she detects the students ́ needs and refers them to the appropriate specialists. In order to respond to all the needs of an individual, several intervention areas are addressed by the team, including early intervention from birth to the age of six; visual stimulation and specific techniques to improve visual performance; and basic instrumental techniques such as essential skills in reading, writing, and calculation both in sighted formats and in Braille. Other services address educative orientation, free-time activities that are offered, and an appropriate adaption of the school curriculum.

Funding, Outlook and Transferability

Going forward, the plan is to analyse and evaluate the programme and to then implement improvements. Another goal will be to adapt the programme for Latin American Spanish-speaking countries.