During a 12-month research project to examine the usage of low vision aids by pupils with a visual impairment in UK mainstream secondary schools, the reasons for rejection of the Low Vision Aids (LVAs) were examined. Interestingly, in some instances, conflicting perceptions came from the pupils themselves and from their specialist teachers. It became clear that not all teachers had clearly defined criteria for judging if LVAs were being used effectively to support access to the curriculum and to bring about great independence on behalf of the user. Whilst peer pressure is a major reason for rejection a wider range of issues emerged relating to classroom practice. Only part of the findings are reported in this paper.
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References
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*Available from Dr Heather Mason, School of Education, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, England (price £5).
