Inclusive education and cerebral visual impairment: Are teachers prepared for the classroom challenges?

Abstract

Cerebral visual impairment (CVI) is now the most frequent cause of childhood visual impairment in high-income nations, yet school systems remain poorly equipped to meet its distinctive—largely neurological—learning needs. Because CVI originates in cerebral, not ocular, dysfunction, effective schooling requires specialized strategies that integrate multisensory instruction, environmental simplification, and functional-vision assessment. International evidence shows persistent under-diagnosis and limited professional training; recent European policy reforms that replace specialist teachers of the visually impaired (TVIs) with general special educators’ risk widening these gaps. This cross-sectional study surveyed 84 Turkish special-education teachers—working in a context that discontinued TVI certification in 2016—about their knowledge, competence, and training on CVI. Results were stark: 88.1 % had never encountered the term CVI, and only 8.4 % received any related coursework during preservice preparation. More than four in five respondents felt unprepared to conduct functional-vision assessments or adapt instruction. Teachers who had received even brief CVI-specific training (n = 22) reported substantially higher confidence, underscoring the leverage of targeted continuing professional development. Findings highlight an urgent need for reinstated TVI pathways, evidence-based in-service programs, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Without systemic reform, learners with CVI will continue to face educational inequities, underlining the need for policy action and further empirical research.