Promoting social inclusion of pupils with visual impairment in mainstream schools in Scotland

Questsionnaire

The postal questionnaire was constructed in such a way as to encourage those who completed it to share with us any examples of good practice, initiatives or guidelines which they were aware of in schools which would promote the social inclusion and social competence of pupils with a visual impairment. We asked questions such as what strategies were used in schools to promote social inclusion and how social inclusion was monitored in order to provide a context for discussing the views and experiences of those we had interviewed. Twenty-nine questionnaires were returned.

• All 29 councils who replied offer peripatetic services to schools with pupils with visual impairment.
  
• A range of strategies are used to promote social inclusion of all pupils, including pupils with visual impairment. A range of professionals, agencies, including voluntary organisations, support the councils’ education departments in contributing to the social inclusion and social skills training of pupils with visual impairment.
  
• Most councils monitor their inclusion/social inclusion policies, with senior management within education departments being responsible for this.
  
• Social skills awareness training is available for pupils with visual impairment, their peers and school staff in the majority of authorities. This training is provide mainly by TVIs along with school staff.
  
• Involvement of pupils in meetings and/or decisions that affect them, did not always appear to be routine procedure.

Discussion