Visually impaired students find school 'a difficult and isolating experience', Dáil committee told

Advocates attending the education committee session highlighted challenges faced by students with blindness or vision impairment when it comes to school and exams.

Many visually impaired students are often blocked from attending school trips abroad, face challenges accessing the curriculum and find participating in education a difficult and isolating experience, an Oireachtas committee has heard.

The education committee met on Tuesday to discuss the educational needs of visually impaired students in both primary and post-primary schools.

Advocates attending the session highlighted challenges faced by students with blindness or vision impairment when it comes to school and exams.

In a statement to the committee, Vision Ireland said it was aware of many examples of students with blindness or vision impairment for whom the experience in education was positive. 

"However, we are also aware that many students find participation in education a difficult and isolating experience." 

Masters student at Maynooth University Rafiat Agbona told the committee about her personal experience of transitioning from school to university as a blind person.

Ms Agbona was not born blind, having lost her eyesight at 12-years-old during the summer before starting secondary school.

"I was under the impression that my secondary school would be prepared for my arrival, as they had other students with disabilities there, whereas that unintentionally became more of an issue for me later on.” 

She told the committee how she was assigned a special needs assistant [SNA] to assist with reading and writing. “I didn't know how much of a hindrance this would be for my future,” she told the committee.

Other students were able to socialise and get to know people, whereas I was stuck to an SNA 24/7. 

In her own time, she learned how to use a white cane and she learned braille. “Over time, I had to also argue for different things, such as going to the shops during lunch like every other student, or even staying after school.” 

Ms Agbona told the committee she was also “strongly” discouraged from taking part in transition year.

“I was told that it would be really difficult for me, and all the activities I wouldn't be able to join in. Now, looking back, I realised that they just didn't want me to participate because they saw me taking day trips as a burden.” 

While in school, she was also advised if she wanted to attend a school trip abroad, her mother or SNA would have to attend with her.

The committee heard visually impaired students still often face barriers when it comes to attending school trips. Toni O’Dwyer, manager with Vision Ireland, told the committee how things have not changed since Ms Agbona was in secondary school.

“My first call at quarter past eight this morning was a 15-year-old boy who was not allowed to go on a trip abroad because he hasn't an SNA to go with him, or the school won’t pay for the SNA, so he doesn't even have the option of having a parent go with them.”

The quality of modified exam papers for visually impaired students is “really low”, according to Eithne Walsh, parent and head of communications with Féach, which supports parents of blind and vision impaired students. 

"We need to move on to papers that can be accessed by digital readers," Ms Walsh said.