“Everyone Thought My Library Assistant was My Mum”. Visually Impaired and Blind Students’ Experiences of Interactions with Support and Other Staff in Higher Education.

This article explores visually impaired (vi) and blind students’ experiences of support as an undergraduate student in UK higher education (he) by focusing specifically on relationships and interactions between vi and blind students and support staff within Higher Education. Participants within this research show how their experiences highlight an uneven and often exclusionary Higher Education landscape. Constructions of disability and impairment show a complex relationship between support provision as it is offered and experienced. The findings overall suggest the experience of support is more than the placing together of student and support worker and concerns the management of this relationship, particularly around underlying assumptions about being vi. Support is not unnecessary or unwelcome, instead, the complexity of the relationship, the additional work associated with support experienced by these students, combine to shape academic experience.

PENGUATAN KONSEP BANGUN DATAR DAN SATUAN PANJANG PADA SISWA TUNANETRA MELALUI MEDIA BLIND’S PLAYPAD

ABSTRAKPembelajaran matematika berbasis game saat ini sangat diminati oleh siswa SD terlebih lagi oleh siswa SD penyandang tunanetra, sehingga dapat mempermudah siswa-siswi tunanetra dalam memahami materi. Memperhatikan permasalahan yang ada, dilakukan program pengabdian masyarakat melalui media BLIND’S PLAYPAD sebagai upaya dalam inovasi media pembelajaran matematika di SDLB-A YPAB Surabaya. Tujuan dari program ini adalah untuk menarik minat siswa tunanetra di SDLB-A YPAB Surabaya pada pembelajaran matematika sehingga dapat meningkatkan kemampuan siswa dalam belajar matematika, serta mengenalkan media BLIND’S PLAYPAD sehingga dapat digunakan dalam pembelajaran matematika secara mandiri. Metode pelaksanaan program ini dilakukan secara luring dengan mematuhi protocol Kesehatan dan daring melalui video conference (zoom). Pada program ini terdiri dari lima kegiatan. Pertama, tahap persiapan yang terdiri dari melakukan diskusi tim dengan mitra hingga tahap terakhir yakni membahas keberlanjutan program. Hasil yang dicapai dari program Blind’s Playpad adalah adanya media BLIND’S PLAYPAD, laporan, serta publikasi pada media elektronik dan artikel ilmiah. Program ini berhasil dilaksanakan karena siswa mampu menyelesaikan soal-soal yang diberikan dan mendapat nilai lebih dari sama dengan 70, dimana 70 itu merupakan satuan ketentuan mata pelajaran SDLB-A YPAB. Kemudian adanya peningkatan keaktifan siswa minimal 80 persen. Kata kunci : blind’s playpad; inovasi; matematika; pembelajaran; tunanetra. ABSTRACTGame-based mathematics learning is currently in great demand by elementary school students especially by elementary school students with visual impairments, so that it can make it easier for blind students to understand about the lesson. Taking into account the existing problems, a community service program was carried out through the BLIND'S PLAYPAD media as an effort to innovate mathematics learning media at SDLB-A YPAB Surabaya. The purpose of this program is to attract the interest of blind students at SDLB-A YPAB Surabaya in learning mathematics so as to improve students' abilities in learning mathematics, and to introduce BLIND'S PLAYPAD media so that it can be used in independent mathematics learning. The method of implementing this program is carried out offline by complying with the health protocol and online via video conference (zoom). This program consists of five activities. First, the preparation stage which consists of conducting team discussions with partners to the last stage, which is discussing the sustainability of the program. The results achieved from the Blind's Playpad program are the existence of BLIND'S PLAYPAD media, reports, and publications in electronic media and scientific articles. This program was successfully implemented because students were able to solve the questions given and got a score of more than equal to 70, of which 70 was the unit of provision for SDLB-A YPAB subjects. Then there is an increase in student activity of at least 80 percent. Keywords: blind's playpad; innovation; mathematics; learning; visually impaired.

The Effectiveness of Program based on Strengthening Self-Concept using Braille sense Technology in Improving the Adjustment Behavior and Achievement among Blind Inclusive 1st Year Secondary School students: فاعلية برنامج قائم على تدعيم مفهوم الذات باستخدام تقنية برايل سنس في تحسين السلوك التوافقي والتحصيل الأكاديمي لدى الطلاب المكفوفين المدمجين بالصف الأول الثانوي

The study aimed to identify the effectiveness of a program based on strengthening self-concept using Braille Sense technology in improving the adjustment behavior and academic achievement of blind students integrated in the first grade of secondary school. The quasi-experimental approach was adopted and the study tools consisted of the Self-Concept Scale for the Blind and the adjustment Behavior Scale for the Blind, As well as the training program, the study tools were applied to a sample of (32) blind students in the first grade of secondary school in the United Arab Emirates, as a pre-measurement, and the sample was divided based on the calculation of the fourths, where the first quadrant represents eight blind low-grade students in self-concept and consensual behavior based on that Qualitative analysis that shows the difference in dimensions in terms of decrease and height on the self-concept scale, so that the first quadrant group (8) represents blind students who are the exploratory sample through which the validity of the study hypotheses will be verified.. The results of the study showed the following, the existence of statistically significant differences between the performance of the intervention group in the pre-, post- and tracer measurements in terms of adjustment behavior and its various dimensions in favor of the post-measurement, and the existence of statistically significant differences between the performance of the intervention group in the pre-, post- and tracer-measurements in terms of academic achievement in favor of the post-measurement.

FACTORS AFFECTING BLIND STUDENTS’ ENGAGEMENT IN LEARNING ENGLISH

Universitas Brawijaya (UB) with the assistance of Pusat Studi dan Layanan Disabilitas (PSLD) have implemented an inclusive education environment, as the need for equal education chance for different abilities Indonesians. There is an assumption that engagement from a combination of language learning or learning language’s cognitive, social, and affective aspects can affect the learning process and academic achievement of a special need student. To reach the research objective, interview sessions and classroom observations session were aimed at measuring the students' language learning engagement based on three-domains; cognitive, affective and social, in students’ perspective and ongoing activities. This research shows fluctuate results based on the interviews and observations data of two blind students. The main engaged factors found are positive teaching approaches and attitudes, also both students’ learning autonomy.

The Implementation of Adaptive Physical Education Program for Blind Students at SMP Modern Islamic School Surakarta

In the era of the Covid-19 pandemic, the government implemented a distance learning system for students at all levels of education. This has an impact on various changes in learning methods, including for the subjects of Physical Education, Sports, and Health. The importance of learning sports during the pandemic is the right of every student, including students with special needs. In fact, children who need special services are often excluded from teaching and learning activities in physical education. So adaptive physical education is needed so that it can serve the learning needs of blind students and lead students to achieve excellent health. To overcome the persistence of the above problem, the authors implemented an adaptive physical education program aimed at blind students at Junior High School Modern Islamic School (SMP MIS) Surakarta. The main program is train students to do an adaptive rhythmic gymnastics. This program consisting of Ayo Pahami (Lets Understand), Ayo Praktikkan (Lets Practice), and Ayo Lanjutkan (Lets Continue) which are carried out online through the WhatsApp Group. In general, this program implementation activities can run well. This is evidenced by the results of written test and also performance test. Quantitatively, the average students score is 60 while the average teachers score is 84 for the written test, and the average students score for performance test is 71,2 which is considered as skilled. Qualitatively, all students understand and can memorize the whole movements of the rhythmic gymnastics. Habituation and parental/teacher guidance is needed to boost students’ ability in practicing the movements so that their motor skills can improve progressively. We also arrange ETAS organizational structure that aims to encourage students to continue their rhythmic gymnastics habits and is expected new extracurricular in the future.

English Phonemic Awareness of Students with Visual Disabilities

Most of researches have reported the significance of English phonemic awareness to the success of learning English, but less discussions involving students with visual disabilities. Students with visual disabilities lacks of visual input and form a strong sensitivity to audio input, researches have reported that this condition affect their spelling ability, yet, their ability in recognizing English phonemes has been less explored especially in Indonesia. Thus, this research aims to describe the phonemic awareness of students with visual disabilities who learn English as Foreign Language. The participants of this research are students with visual disabilities whether active or passive braille user. 7 students with visual disabilities participated in an Online English Phonemic Awareness Test. Two independent raters rated the data independently. Interrater agreement was applied to ensure the objectivity of two independent interrater. The findings show that students with visual disabilities are aware of consonants Fricative alveolar, Plosive bilabial, and Plosive alveolar sounds but struggling with Fricative velar and Affricative velar sound, they are also aware of vowels Close mid front vowel, Close front long vowel sounds, Close mid back vowel and Open central vowel but struggling in identifying Open back vowel, Close mid central vowel, and Open mid back vowel. English phonemic awareness is a very important basic thing in language learning. However, it will be very challenging for ESL learners, especially those who learn are blind students because of certain obstacles that blind students have so that strategies are needed in language learning.