Abstract

Until recently in Ireland as in many other European countries, the educational provision for blind/vision impaired young people occurred primarily within a segregated special educational system. The restructuring of the education system began in the 1990s leading to significant changes in special education including a language of inclusive education within policy initiatives. Ireland has witnessed significant changes in how we think about and respond to disability as a public issue. In the past blind/vision impaired children and young people were generally assigned to particular types of education based on their impairment category. This type of provision led to groundless conjectures about the learning capabilities of this section of the population and implied that as a result of their impairment they inevitably had more distinctive learning needs than their peers (Griffin & Shevlin, 2007). Changes in policy, practice and provision means that increasingly blind/vision impaired children and young people have the opportunity to be educated within mainstream settings. It is recognised that the challenge for the education system is to adapt to the needs of children and young people with disabilities and, to accept their differences, while enabling them to realise their potential (Watson & Nolan, 2011). These developments have been influenced by “...international demands for a more equitable education system that recognises diversity and considers how schools might address the needs of pupils who have been previously marginalised” (Rose, Shevlin, Winter, & O’Raw, 2010, p. 359). There has been a history of exclusion and missed opportunities among blind/vision impaired people within education and employment. Research has identified a positive association between education and employment (Shah, & Priestley 2011, Gannon & Nolan, 2005). AHEAD (2008) acknowledge that without actual equality of access to educational opportunities and qualifications, we are in danger of losing accomplished individuals from the labour force. While it is recognised that the numbers of students with disabilities within third level education has increased in recent decades the numbers of blind/vision impaired students within this sector remains persistently low (AHEAD, 2008). Current EU policy places significant importance on inclusion and participation for people with disabilities and recognises “how structural barriers within society can marginalise people with disabilities.” (Smyth, 2014 p. 436). This paper explores factors that influence how transitions are experienced by blind/vision impaired people. Significant transitions tend to occur in adolescence and early adulthood as the individual moves between schools and from school to further education and employment. A variety of factors impacted on the transition experiences of participants in this study (McCarthy, 2013). “Policy and practice, particularly within the school arena, can either support young people’s subjective realities or constrain them.” (Shah, 2005, p. 112). Decisions taken at secondary school regarding subjects pursued, the level at which these subjects are undertaken, which Leaving Certificate programme to pursue and the quality and extent of career guidance can all have significant implications (McCarthy, 2015, 2013). This is pertinent in relation to what pathways are open to people once they leave school. While it was evident that greater transition opportunities are now available to blind/vision impaired people, it is apparent that transitions can be thwarted through disabling environments and disabling attitudes (ibid). It is necessary therefore to ensure that policy development and practice always enables rather than disables transition opportunities for blind/vision impaired people. It is anticipated that the findings from this research could be used to provide an understanding of the impact of existing policy and practice on the transition choices/opportunities of blind/vision impaired people and to inform the development of future policy and practice.

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