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Copyright © Canadian Research & Development Center of Sciences and Cultures
ISSN 1927-0232 [Print]
ISSN 1927-0240 [Online]
www.cscanada.net
www.cscanada.org
Higher Education of Social Science
Vol. 18, No. 2, 2020, pp. 9-13
DOI:10.3968/11661
Educating Students With Visual Disability in the State of Kuwait: Literature
Review and Recommendations
Ibrahim El-Zraigat
[a],*
; Mubarak Alshammari
[b]
[a]
The University of Jordan, Amman – Jordan.
[b]
College of Basic Education, Public Authority for Applied Education
and Training (PAAET), Kuwait.
*
Corresponding author.
Received 1 March 2020; accepted 14 May 2020
Published online 22 May 2020
Abstract
The primary purpose of this study was to review the
educational process of student with visual disability
in Kuwait. The visual impairment is one of the special
education classes that attracted the attention and attention
of researchers and educators. Students with visual
impairment show various educational and psychological
needs, and the assessment determines the nature of these
special needs. Meeting these needs requires specialized
educational programs and a variety of services to achieve
their maximum potential optimal level of adjustment.
The present study is considered a theoretical study. The
review indicated that students with visual disability have
a wide range of characteristics and specialized needs.
Visual disability negatively affected students’ especially
academic achievement, nonverbal communication, as well
as psychosocial development. These needs require special
services in order to meet them. The study ended by
offering a number of conclusions and recommendations
for better education of this group of disability. Basically,
there is a need to rethink with the educational procedures
used and develop their education.
Key words: Educating Students with Visual
Disability; Special needs, Kuwait
El-Zraigat, I., & Alshammari, M. (2020). Educating Students
With Visual Disability in the State of Kuwait: Literature
Review and Recommendations. Higher Education of
Social Science , 18 (2), 9-13. Available from: URL: http://
www.cscanada.net/index.php/hess/article/view/11661
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/11661
INTRODUCTION
Visual disability is a special education category that has
a wide interest in researchers, teachers, and program
providers. The visual disability negatively affects the
acquired experiences and the various developmental
aspects. Minimizing the negative impact of visual
disability requiring relevant services to achieve maximum
potential of students with visual disability (El-Zraigat,
2006).
In order to understand the special needs of students
with visual disability, this requires us to understand
students with low vision and blind as well as special
modifcations needed; however, those student may benefts
from using assistive technology in learning environment
according to their unique needs, especially enhancing
reading and writing skills (Alves, Monteiro, Rabbelo,
Gasparretto, & Carvalho, 2009).
Visual disability is categorized into two main types:
low vision and blind. Student with low vision are
the pupils who use sight in learning, but their visual
abilities or visual disability affect their daily functional
capabilities. While blind students are individuals who use
touch and hearing for learning and have no functional
use of vision (Smith, 2007). To determine the nature of
the special educational needs of students with visual
disability, this requires a comprehensive evaluation of
them to understand the nature of these needs. The main
objective of the evaluation is to identify the special needs
of targeted students. This process increases the ability and
capabilities of teachers and those involved in delivering
programs to develop special educational plans and provide
the programs necessary to meet them (El-Zraigat, 2006).
Therefore, the frst step in providing special educational
programs is to conduct a comprehensive assessment of
special needs and then set special goals aimed at satisfying
these needs, and achieve the goals through special
programs (Offce of Special Education and Rehabilitative
Services (OSERS) (2000).