Consciousness Awakening and Technology Enabling: A Case Study of Self-supporting of Persons with Visual Impairments in Inclusive Higher Education
Main Article Content
Keywords
inclusive higher education, visual impairment, students with visual impairments, disability awareness, accessibility, organizations of persons with disabilities
Abstract
This case study investigates the experience of students with visual impairments in pursuing inclusive higher education in China through the assistance of technology, analyzes the development of higher education for persons with disabilities from segregation to inclusion, addresses attitudinal and environmental barriers to the equal participation of persons with disabilities, and the impact of local organizations of persons with disabilities on promoting equal rights in inclusive education through their professional support and strategic advocacy work. Through in in-depth interview of a student with visual impairment in her college and graduate programs, the results of the study indicate her problem-solving approaches to overcome some barriers to independent living, academic achievements, and full inclusion in social life activities. This study reveals the urgent need for the development of a system of disability support in higher education institutes for equal participation in inclusive education.
References
Cai, C. (2018). Understanding and thinking on the policy of “reasonable accommodation” for persons with visual impairments to take Gaokao - based on the perspective of the UN “Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities” (in Chinese). Modern Special Education, 2018-24.
Cai, C. (2020). Research on the current situation of information accessibility in online learning of visually impaired college students. Modern Special Education, (12), 58-66.
Dejong, G. (1984). Independent Living: from Social Movement to Analytic Paradigm. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/496597/.
General Office of the State Council. (2014). Notice of the General Office of the State Council on Forwarding the Special Education Enhancement Program (2014-2016) of the Ministry of Education and Other Departments [EB/OL]. General Office of the State Council. http://www.gov.cn/xxgk/pub/govpublic/mrlm/201401/t20140118_66612.html.
Hu, J. (2022). Opportunities and Challenges: An Examination of Educational Landscape for People with visual Impairment in China. Current Issues in Comparative Education, 24 (1), 96-113.
Jing, X. (2022). Tsinghua Dream Comes True. School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University. https://www.sss.tsinghua.edu.cn/info/1223/6043.htm.
Lei, J., Luo, S., & Kang, F. (2017). The current situation and countermeasures of China’s higher inclusive education [J] (in Chinese). Disability Research, (1), 4–12.
Li, X., & Fu, Z. (2015). From isolation to inclusiveness? - The history, characteristics and policy changes of higher education for the visually impaired in China. Journal of Social Work, 06, 35–46.
Liu, J. (2014). My Views on “living independently and being included in the community”: Interpretation of Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities from Multiple Perspectives [J]. Human Rights, (01), 47-51. https://doi.org/10.16696/j.cnki.11-4090/d.2014.01.020.
Lin, Z. (2014). The significance of the college entrance examination for blind people goes beyond the score. Education and Careers, 22.
Lv, W. (2017). Local Practice of Internationalization of Inclusive Education: the Example of Bailun Xu and the Golden Key Center for Research on Visual Impairments in Education [J]. Contemporary Special Education, (14), 10-15.
Ma, Y. (2012). Construction of support system for disabled college students under the background of “inclusive education” [J]. Jiangsu Higher Education, (02), 144-145. https://doi.org/10.13236/j.cnki.jshe.2012.02.016.
Ministry of Education. (2014). Notice of the Ministry of Education on the Enrollment of Ordinary Colleges and Universities in 2014 [EB/OL]. General Office of the State Council. http://www.moe.gov.cn/srcsite/A15/moe_776/s3258/201506/t20150619_190780.html.
Ministry of Education and China Disabled Persons' Federation. (2017). Notice of the China Disabled Persons' Federation and Ministry of Education on Printing and Distributing the Regulations on the Administration of the National Unified Examination for the Enrollment of Persons with Disabilities in Ordinary Colleges and Universities, [EB/OL]. Ministry of Education and China Disabled Persons' Federation. http://www.moe.gov.cn/srcsite/A15/moe_776/s3258/201704/t20170428_303388.html.
One Plus One Disability Group (2014). 2014 China Top Ten Disability Rights Events. http://www.crpdlife.cn/page/4752.
One Plus One Disability Group (2015). Architect of Diversified Development: 2014-2016. One Plus One Group of Disability. www.yijiayi.org.cn/black/index.php?id=445.
Pang, W.(2020). The support system and enlightenment of higher inclusive education for disabled college students in the UK [J]. Chinese Journal of Special Education, (09), 9-14.
Qing, H. (2016). From Empowerment to Increased Power: How the Blind Participate in Regular College Entrance Examination to Achieve “Zero Breakthrough” [J]. Research on the Rights of the Disabled, (2), 48–70.
Wang, J. (2014). Blind candidate hand in blank papers in the college entrance examination, and the time will arrive before the first question is finished. Huashang Digital News. http://news.hsw.cn/system/2014/06/12/051948006.shtml.
Wang, M., & Zhang, Y. (2017). A case study on environmental adaptation of visually impaired students in colleges and universities [J]. Disability Research, (1), 21–27.
Wang, M., Zhang, Y., Liu, J., & Zhao, B. (2020). A Narrative Study on the Development of Enrollment Preparation Services for College Students with Disabilities. Modern Special Education, (22), 24.
Wang, T. (2019). Qualitative research on the higher education experience of the disabled under different placement modes (Master’s thesis, Southwest University). Southwest University.
Wang, X., & Takeda, K. (2022). Support Services for Students with Visual Impairments Offered by Inclusive Higher Education Institutions in China. Journal of Special Education Research, 10(2), 83-93.
Yuan, L. (2019). Research on support services for visually impaired students in university libraries under the background of inclusive education. Library Work and Study, (09), 29-35.
Yongyuan, T. (2014). The founding of the first disabled university in China [J]. Memories and Archives, (4), 14-16.
Zhang, S. (2015). Research on inclusive schools from the perspective of higher inclusive education for the deaf (Master’s Thesis, Tianjin University of Technology). Tianjin University of Technology.
Zhang, T. ,Yang, L. (2018). The Evolvement and Change of Policy on suiban jiudu in China [J]. Suihua University Journal (07), 5-9.
Zhang, M., Zheng, W., & Hou, J. (2020). On the construction of a higher inclusive education support service system for the disabled - Based on the analysis of the pilot work text of higher inclusive education [J]. Chinese Journal of Special Education, (06), 10–17.
Article Sidebar
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
RDS Journal is an open-access journal, create a free account to read full articles and to submit a proposal. For visual arts and multimedia, submission will be considered evidence that you are offering RDS the right to display your work without penalty, compensation or royalties.
Cong Cai, One Plus One Disability Group
Cong Cai is the Director of Youren Foundation under One Plus One Disability Group, the largest organization of persons with disabilities in China. He has visual impairments and is currently pursuing his PhD degree in the Department of Communication at the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He is also a senior disability rights trainer of Harvard Law School Project on Disability China Program and an advisor for the United Nations Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities China project. He led the drafting and editing of a series of disability case studies called “Canku” (残库), which cover issues of disability and gender, employment, and human rights. He also developed a range of handbooks for corporations, parents, and the disability community, with the goal of guiding their efforts on advocacy, awareness raising, and inclusive employment. In 2021, Cai drafted and edited the UNESCO “Handbook on Media Reporting for Promoting Disability Equality in China." His research and advocacy work covers issues concerning disability cultures, digital literacy and inclusion, communication and social development, and equal participation of persons with disabilities in social development.Fengming Cui, China Program, Harvard Law School Project on Disability
Dr. Cui Fengming is a senior director of Harvard Law School Project on Disability (HPOD) China Program. She served as an adjunct professor of Renmin University of China Law School and has been a senior fellow at the Renmin University of China Disability Law Clinic. Dr. Cui holds a Doctoral degree in special education from Boston University with a focus on justice, education, and disability as well as an Ed.M in education from Nanjing University in China with a focus on higher education and disability. She is currently also a Board of Trustee for Yale-China at Yale University. Dr. Cui’s main scholarly interests, research, and writing cover issues of rights to inclusive education; comparative policy research on inclusive education; disability studies, law, and legal education; disability laws and policies in China; family and systems of support; the development of disability-related organizations; and disability and general social development.