‘The rest of the time I would just stand there and look stupid’: access in integrated physical education among adults with visual impairments

ABSTRACT

In recent years, research examining the perspectives of individuals with visual impairments toward the inclusiveness of their experiences in physical education has revealed that feelings associated with inclusion are largely unavailable. Notably, individuals with visual impairments have revealed feelings of frustration and disappointment with being discriminated against by their teachers, who may unknowingly contribute to peers’ understanding of students’ abilities by communicating ideals of inability. To extend this line of inquiry, this study focused on exploring the role that access plays in informing the perceptions of those with visual impairments toward the inclusiveness of their experiences in physical education. Nine adults with visual impairments were interviewed about their perceptions of their experiences in integrated physical education, and reflective interview notes were recorded. Interviews were conducted via telephone, and were recorded, transcribed, and subjected to thematic analysis. Three cascading themes were constructed based on points of access that were identified as salient across the participants’ reflections: (a) ‘A lot of times it was in a separate room … because they didn’t want to mess with me’: Accessing physical spaces, (b) ‘I was with them, but I wasn’t’: Accessing activities within spaces, and (c) ‘The rest of the time I would just stand there and look stupid’: Accessing meaningful participation. The cascading themes provide a hierarchy of access points, where individuals must first be provided access to the physical space in which activities occur, then they must be permitted access to activities when in that space, and finally must be provided appropriate accommodations which lead to meaningful participation within those activities. These findings provide support for the assertion that while entry into an integrated space and access to the activities of that space are the first steps toward inclusion, they are not enough to guarantee that students feel included within that space.

KEYWORDS:

• Inclusion
• blindness
• inclusive education
• adapted physical education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The development of this manuscript was partially supported by grants from the US Department of Education [grant number: H325H190001; H325D160032]. However, the contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Project Officers Louise Tripoli and Richelle Davis.