Historical & Comparative Study: UK & Ireland Vision Impairment Support

This report presents an exploratory historical and comparative study of student support for visually impaired students in third-level education within the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. The study begins by highlighting the historical underrepresentation of students with disabilities in higher education and the evolution of legislation aimed at promoting equal opportunities. It then delves into the current state of support systems in both the UK and Ireland, examining the types of accommodations and resources available to visually impaired students. The report explores the historical context of these support systems, tracing the development of policies and practices over time. A comparative analysis is conducted to identify similarities and differences in the approaches taken by the UK and Ireland. The rationale for the study emphasizes the importance of equal educational opportunities and the impact of visual impairment on learning. The report also discusses the challenges faced by visually impaired students, including barriers to accessing physical environments, negative attitudes, and a lack of awareness among educators. Finally, the report provides an overview of relevant evidence, including legislation, research findings, and policy documents, to support its conclusions. The study concludes by highlighting the need for further research and continued efforts to improve support for visually impaired students in higher education.

SUPPORTS FOR STUDENTS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT AT THIRD LEVEL
EDUCATION – AN EXPLORATORY HISTORICAL AND COMPARATIVE STUDY IN
THE UK AND IRELAND
Introduction
Historically students with disabilities have been grossly underrepresented in Higher
Education (HE). Till a recent period, there were no laws for HE institutions for discriminating
against people with disabilities, leading to almost no support or limited support. Introduction
of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) included the duty not to discriminate directly or
indirectly against students having disabilities. This act also aimed at the promotion of equal
opportunities for people with disabilities. Ireland currently has one of the highest levels of
education in the world. Irish population reached a higher level of education, which is less
than 40% in countries like the “United States”, “United Kingdom”, “Spain”, “Belgium”, and
“France”. 81% of Irish students finish school, about 60% stay in higher education. Irish
students attained significantly more than the “OECD” average in reading. The Government in
the UK defines Disability in the Equality Act 2010, as a mental or physical impairment
having a substantial negative and long-term negative effects on the capability of an individual
to perform regular activities. However, data reveals the prevalence of inequality amongst
disabled students accessing higher education. Amongst all different types of disabilities, the
visual system is considered a dominant “sensory modality” in humans. Half of the brain is
directed to sight and almost 70% of the brain is dedicated to processing and handling visual
information. In the UK and Republic of Ireland, there is a history of exclusion along with
missed opportunities for the blind and “vision-impaired young people” across all realms of
education. The scope of current research will explore student supports for visually impaired

students at third level education in the UK and “Republic of Ireland” through a comparative
and historical study.
The aim of the study is: “To explore student supports for the visually impaired at third level
education level in UK and Ireland”.
The objectives of the study are as follows.
 Objective 1: To understand historically student support of the visually impaired in the
UK in third-level education
 Research Objective 2: To understand historically student support of the visually
impaired in Ireland in third-level education
 Research Objective 3: To explore a comparatively and historically the case for
visually impaired students in the UK and Ireland.
Rationale
It is an accepted fact that education opportunities for students need to be equal. Education has
been seen to influence a person's life in a significant manner, which in turn influences the
person's success in the labor market, preparing for democratic citizenship, and generally
flourishing as humans. Children's life chances should not be limited using morally arbitrary
circumstances of birth that includes their social class, race, and gender. The idea of equality
of educational opportunity is of substantial disagreement (Litvack, Ritchie, and Shore, 2011,
p 480). The term visual impairment implies a loss of sight that cannot be corrected using
contact lenses or glasses. Visual impairment can be of two types, namely registered partially
sighted, where the level of sight impairment is moderate and registered blind, implying
severe sight impairment leading to all activities that require eyesight becoming impossible.

A major long-standing debate present in educational policy is the goal of equality as against
the goal of adequacy. There are many debates concerning the same as there remain many
ways in which equality and adequacy can be understood. This debate is seen to replicate at a
more specific level when educational services are provided to students with disabilities.
Under various educational acts devised in varied countries, a million children were excluded
entirely from the public education system. In the past, students who were blind/vision
impaired were provided a certain type of education that is based on their impairment. These
provisions created an unjustified assumption regarding the learning capabilities of the student
cohort. Arising from their impairment, these students had more learning needs as compared
to their peers.
People with cognitive and physical disabilities are marginalized, disadvantaged or even
denied an education. Some critics argue that legal doctrine unnecessarily focuses on fulfilling
demands for reciprocity and cooperation as a condition of equal opportunities, and other legal
requirements. Some people argue that we need new theories, while others believe that
existing theories and methods can be applied to people with disabilities (Smith et al, 2010, p
420). In the field of equal treatment in education, equal treatment is not always enough for
all, as disability sometimes leads to special needs which creates a problem for 'inclusion'. To
avoid these problems, it is a need to promote differentiated treatment, which can lead to
stigma and division, and is linked to segregation in education. This creates a so-called
difference dilemma and includes the decision about whether students with disabilities should
be taught in the same class as students without disabilities. Placing students with disabilities
in regular schools or classrooms can lead to bullying, but placing disabled students in
independent institutions can be a source of stigma in wider society. Although much remains
to be done to ensure that disability is not an obstacle to learning. Although Braille translations

are readily available, blind people do not experience reading disabilities. About education, a
school proposal or a curriculum can determine whether a disability is a barrier to learning.
It can be argued that disability creates problems with different perspectives of equal access to
education and can reinforce known objections. If one of the main objectives of the education
system is to ensure fair competition in employment, many people with disabilities may face
large or even unsurpassed obstacles to the best candidates (Barnard-Brak, Lechtenberger, and
Lan, 2010, p 420). Some people with disabilities do not have the same or equal natural talents
as others and compete for opportunities, although these differences can be offset by
education. Some people with cognitive impairment will not reach this level unless proper
exercise is involved at least by achieving them. Since the emphasis is on achieving this level
of what these people cannot do, people with cognitive impairments do not have access to
education if education is determined at these levels.
Overview of Evidence
There is a range of evidence in the UK and Ireland that reveals the levels of student support
present for a student with disabilities. Students with disabilities are significantly more
disadvantaged than non-disabled students, and the UK higher education institutions must
make expected and proportionate adjustments (Lee et al, 2010, p 230). There is no clear
definition of what these reasonable adjustments should be, but they may include access to
adaptive technology or adaptations related to learning, teaching, and evaluation. It is
recommended that it be amended for all students and curriculum requirements. Some
researches stressed the importance of making these adjustments in place before students start
their courses. Therefore, the support of each student is a complex issue for each university
and more research is needed to understand the students' needs.

In Ireland, education currently stands compulsory for children who are aged between six and
16 years of age or until a child has completed three years of post-primary education. There
has a significant enactment of legislation in the “Republic of Ireland” since the 1990s that is
in favor of education for young people with disabilities. Such education systems have been
influenced by international demands regarding a more equitable education system that
recognizes diversity and stresses the ways children's needs can be satisfied.
Despite the wide range of participation programs, researchers acknowledge that there is a
political force for restoring social exclusion and social injustice, as well as legislation aimed
at promoting non-discrimination higher education in the UK. Literature shows that students
with disabilities still face barriers in higher education. It is noted that children with
disabilities are more at risk of poor performance than students without disabilities because of
the many obstacles. It is to be noted that this is not a lack of capacity, but a social,
environmental barrier and barrier to access to supports.
These obstacles may include difficulties in accessing the physical environment in university,
in rooms, in apartments, libraries and support services. Barriers to relationships, such as
negative student attitudes to people with disabilities. Research in the UK acknowledges that
one of the obstacles for students with disabilities is that teachers and staff do not know the
different needs of students and that students often have some reasonable needs. In their
support, no one is generally not available, such as lecture notes or pre-lecture photos, issues
identified by studies, or students attending lectures. Compared to students without
disabilities, these negative practices hinder full inclusion and are often harmful to students
with disabilities.
Special needs can be described in many ways and the Special Education Act (EPSEN) was
passed in July 2004. The law defines specific educational needs as limiting the ability to
participate and benefit from learning derived from physical, mental, sensory, or educational

disorders or any other condition that forces a person to learn differently from the study
conditions of a person who has no such conditions. Since Ireland was founded in 1919, there
have even been significant changes in the understanding of special needs. Until the early
1990s, religious organizations were the main providers of education and care for children,
including children with special needs. The “Fund for Students with Disabilities” was
established in 1994 to support disabled students in higher education. This was given to
disabled students who lacked opportunities in accessing as well as participating in higher
education. In 2009, the “Disability Access Route to Education” was nationally launched.
During this time, children identified with special needs were observed using a medical model.
This means that they are considered disabled in totality (MacDonald, and Hastings, 2010).
This model is often harmful to children consisting of special needs because of too much focus
on disability and traumatology rather than on individual skills and strengths. Children with
special needs are often referred to religious and other institutions. State participation in
childcare and education is minimal, but the number of religious institutions for children has
started to decline and the state intervenes as necessary.
State participation and the growing recognition of parents, teachers and other experts on how
much special needs provisions have been underdeveloped have led to changes in the way
children with special needs are looked on, forcing governments to enact laws to protect
children from harm. The children are still perceived negatively and their participation in
general education services has a devastating effect on other children. Then, in 1947, children
with special needs were placed in seclusion in schools such as the House of St. Vincent,
Home for “Mentally Defective Children”. Also, although children are evaluated and
diagnosed with special needs, their options during this period are limited (Wei, Blackorby,
and Schiller, 2011, p 102).

Then from the 1960s to 1980 schools were set up for children recognized with special needs.
However, though it was recognized in Ireland that children with disabilities needed education
it was not considered in the mainstream setting. In 1993, the “Report of the Special Education
Review Committee (SERC)” was published. The report encompassed several
recommendations for enhancing education, lives, and care for children with special needs.
The report also focussed that, in Ireland, care, treatment, and education of children with
special needs will be based on seven principles. After which the “White Paper on Education
Charting Our Education Future (1995)” was developed which emphasized on educational
needs of children with special needs and the rights to provide educational access for all
(McCarthy, and Shevlin, 2017, p 1008).
In 2013, English Heritage launched the ‘Disability in Time and Place’ project to uncover the
ways the built environment has been linked to disabled people through history. The Liverpool
School for the Indigent Blind was founded in the year 1871 by a group of 8 men. This was
the first type that supported pupils to be independent and giving practical training for a range
of activities and trades. The school was found for educational reform in the late 19th and 20th
centuries. The act and these schools were measures to provide education opportunities to the
disabled. It enabled raising standards and requirements in teaching, equipment, and
accommodation that many schools at that time could not fulfill.
Methodology
Clear methodology in research is crucial in order to arrive at valid findings.. In this current
research, a historical and comparative study has been conducted regarding student support
received for disabled students at third level education. Thus, according to the research
problem qualitative methods is the best method to describe, interpretation and
contextualization as well as for gaining detailed information in regard to this phenomenon

(Kumar, 2019). Qualitative research will reveal real-world contextual knowledge regarding
behaviors, shared beliefs, social structures of people. This method will aim at understanding
the historical prevalence of the issue and undertake comparative analysis for the two
countries the UK and Ireland.
This study will be conducted by gathering data and information by way of a literature search
of evidence. Secondary data search will be used to find data and analysis regarding barriers
and student support received by visually impaired students in Ireland and the UK (Mangal
and Mangal, 2013). A literature review of relevant materials will be undertaken for
understanding historical support received by third-level visually impaired students.
Qualitative research consists of collecting data that is non-numeric and then enables making a
detailed insight into them. For arriving at proper findings and conclusion, each of these data
will be cross-checked.
Planned Structure
The research will progress by first having a brief introduction to the study, then defining an
appropriate rationale for the same. The aims and objectives of the study will be set out.
Following defining the rationale of the study, evidence for the study is evaluated, this
evidence includes conducting a literature search on the topic. Evidence search will reveal all
past literature analyses of historical data from the UK and Ireland which will be drawn on in
this study. A further literature search will be conducted from different periods to understand
the comparison between Ireland and the UK. After ascertaining the literature for the study,
data will be collected for the study. Samples for the study will be ascertained, after which
primary questions complying with research aim and objectives will be designed, to cater to
gaps in the literature.

Secondary data and literature analysis will be undertaken for the study such that it can
analyzed to arrive at the findings of the study. Then findings will arrive for the study, then
discussion will be undertaken. At the end conclusion for the study will be drawn.
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