Multiple Disabilities and Visual Impairment: An Action Research Project

Children with visual and motor disabilities constitute a distinct group with a unique set of educational needs. Such children are often grouped with the broader population of children with multiple disabilities and visual impairments (that is, those who are blind or have low vision) (Erin, 2000; McLinden, 1997). The chief characteristic of children with multiple disabilities and visual impairments is the interactive element of the disabilities and their combined impact on development. Other researchers support the belief that in multiple disabilities, there is no “primary” or “secondary” disability; instead, there is a combination of conditions that operate in a synergetic way (Hogg & Sebba, 1986). In particular, children with multisensory impairments (such as visual impairment combined with motor disabilities) face difficulties in obtaining sufficient information from their environment to learn independently, and in turn to use such information effectively to function independently (Taylor & Preece, 2010). The number of case studies or projects regarding this population is very limited, and most of them refer to assessment rather than intervention (Erin, 2000; Parker & Pogrund, 2009). The present study highlights the framework and discusses the results of an action research project that aimed to develop the keyboarding skills of a student with multiple disabilities and visual impairment via adaptive technology (the main research aim). MATERIALS AND METHODS The principles of action research (O’Hanlon, 1996) strengthened the argument about choosing action research as the best methodology for the purpose of the present project. According to Kemmis and McTaggart (1988), there is a group of four fundamental aspects in action research: planning, acting, observing, and reflecting. These aspects were present in the project presented here and converged to the improvement of the writing skills of a student with multiple disabilities and visual impairment. Participants The action research project concerned a 12year-old girl (Cathy, the name has been changed) with severe visual impairment (central visual acuities [less than or equal to] 3/60) and motor disabilities (left hemiplegia), who attended the fifth grade in a general educational setting. Because of left hemiplegia, Cathy’s left side was affected in such a way that she had little use of her left hand, and she also had a limp. She had poor balance, and, according to her medical records, apart from blindness and motor difficulties, she had no other additional disabilities. Instead, she spoke three languages (Greek, Italian, and Albanian) and had good social skills, interacting with others effectively. The persons included in this project constituted two Groups: (a) the Action Group, which comprised a special education teacher and an expert in adaptive and assistive technology, who was also a visually impaired person, and (b) the Validation Group, which comprised specialists in research methodology and the special education field. Preliminary activities The preliminary stages of the project included meetings between the members of both groups and initial observations regarding the problems Cathy was facing in school. The reflections on the preliminary stages showed that Cathy was not using a brailler because of her left hemiplegia, and as a result she did not know braille at all. [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] In addition, Cathy was using a computer with specialized software (speech output) with a standard English computer keyboard (QWERTY); however, her writing fluency while typing was very slow (one or two words per minute). Also, when she realized she had made a spelling error, instead of deleting the error, she preferred to delete the whole word and write the word from the beginning. Cathy’s fine motor skills in her right hand seemed well developed, and she knew by heart the keys on a standard keyboard of Greek letters.