Until comparatively recently in Ireland as in many European countries the education of students with disabilities including those identified as blind/vision impaired occurred predominantly within the special education setting. This form of provision led to unfounded assumptions about the learning capabilities of this section of the population implying that their impairment inevitably meant they had more apparent learning needs than their peers (Griffin & Shevlin, 2007). These segregationist and institutional education policies were the norm in Ireland and special education was perceived as being the sole responsibility of dedicated professionals who catered for the needs of children and young people with disabilities (Griffin & Shevlin, 2007). Ireland has witnessed significant changes in how we think about and acknowledge disability as a public issue. Since the 1990s European and international policy including the Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education (United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organisation, 1994) has increasingly influenced the Irish education system. Consequently, the numbers of young people with disabilities including those identified as blind/vision impaired in mainstream education setting at all levels of education are growing and “have become the responsibility of everyone in the education system” (Griffin & Shevlin, 2007, p. 3). Consequently, blind/vision impaired young people are now predominantly educated within mainstream settings in their own locality. This has meant that there is now greater evidence of diversity within mainstream education. While blind/vision impaired students have the same curriculum needs as all students, due to vision impairment they can experience difficulties when traditional methods of teaching and learning are used (Spungin, & Ferrell 2007). The research upon which this presentation is based identifies that inclusivity is not always a guiding ethos within educational institutions but is something affixed to a “disablist curriculum” (Hopkins, 2011) as a response to an excluded student. The lack of diversity within our education has reinforced this. This paper will demonstrate the importance of emphasising that equality of access should not stop once the blind/vision impaired student has gained entry to the mainstream setting; these students also require equality of condition and equality of outcome to achieve equal opportunities and experiences.

It is recognised that there has been a dearth of participation amongst disabled people in all aspects of research (Ali, Fazil, Bywaters, Wallace & Singh, 2001, Educable, 2000) and until comparatively recently most of the research undertaken in the field of disability was undertaken either by those within the medical profession or by those caring for disabled people. This resulted in research that did not generally accurately reflect the authentic experiences of those with a disability. The research upon which this presentation is based used a qualitative approach, namely life history which provides a means through which to explore “the impact of public policies on private lives in the context of change over time” (Shah & Priestley, 2011, p. 93). This approach acknowledges that participants are the experts regarding their own lives. A life history approach was utilised to ensure that the voices of participants “were captured by the research process in ways that reflect their views and recognize them as active social agents who are able to make decisions about their own futures” (Shah, 2006, p. 207). Furthermore, Clarke (1998, p. 67) asserts that this approach offers “those who have been silenced...the platform...to speak in their own words about their experiences”. In-depth, unstructured and semi-structured interviews were conducted with blind/vision impaired individuals and were all located within the Republic of Ireland. My ontological position as a disabled researcher was central to the development of this research.

This presentation will demonstrate how a lack of diversity has been experienced by this cohort of the population and provide insights into a range of educational experiences for those who participated in this research to provide an understanding of how existing policy, practice and provision impacts on the educational experiences of blind/vision impaired young people and to inform future developments including in UDL and areas of digital literacy. While it is not always possible to legislate for all the issues that arose from this research it is imperative to recognise the importance of involving disabled people and in this instance particularly blind/vision impaired people at all stages of the research process to ensure that future policy and practice is informed by the lived experiences and that they are central to the research process rather than being confined to the margins or excluded from the process.

Ali, Z., Fazil, Q., Bywaters, P., Wallace, L., & Singh, G. (2001). Disability, ethnicity and childhood: a critical review of research. Disability & Society, 16(7), 949-967. Baker, J., Lynch, K., Cantillon, S., Walsh, J., & University College Dublin. Equality Studies Centre. (2004). Equality : from theory to action. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. Fichten, C. S., Asuncion, J. V., Barile, M., Ferraro, V., & Wolforth, J. (2009). Accessibility of e-learning and computer and information technologies for students with visual impairments in postsecondary education. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 103(9), 543-557. Griffin, S., & Shevlin, M. (2007). Responding to special educational needs : an Irish perspective. Dublin: Gill & Macmillan. Hopkins, L. (2011). The path of least resistance: a voice relational analysis of disabled students’ experiences of discrimination in English universities. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 15(7), 711-727. Shah, S., & Priestley, M. (2011). Disability and social change : private lives and public policies. Bristol: Policy Press.