THE MIS-EDUCATION OF BLIND URBAN STUDENTS: SOCIAL CONTEXT AND EQUITY IN THE DELIVERY OF VISION SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES

Abstract

Research has identified various barriers related to the provision of vision special education services in the United States public education system. Factors involving school context, which are of particular importance in high-poverty urban settings, have largely remained unexamined. Thus, a collective case study methodology was used to address the following central question: How do teachers of the blind describe vision special education services in high-poverty urban schools? Through in-depth individual and group interviews, the analysis of documents, and the submission of photographs, five urban teachers provided their perspectives. An overlapping conceptual framework combining disability studies and critical race theory was used to conduct a close examination of these issues. The research yielded some insights on the connections that blind students and their specialized services have to the patterns of educational inequities associated with urban education in the United States. These findings can inform research, teacher education, and professional practice with the goal of enhancing the educational experiences and future lives of blind urban youth.