Muthukumaran, A. (2023). Experiences of middle school students with visual impairments accessing technologies in inclusive classrooms (Publication No. 30573660) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Northern Colorado]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. https://www.proquest.com/docview/2854805314

The focus was on the experiences of students with visual impairments when accessing technology and digital content in the classroom. Assessment accommodations, such as an online version of an assessment, braille, extended time, multiple days, visual breaks, and human reader, came up in discussions of students’ experiences.

Three middle school students with visual impairments in Colorado participated in school observations. The three students, along with their general education teachers and their teachers of students with visual impairments (TVIs), participated in interviews for a total of nine interviews.

Observations of the three students in their general education classrooms were conducted. Interviews with the three students, their general education teachers, and their TVIs were conducted to gain insight into their experiences with the use of technology to improve access to the general education classroom.

Technology helped facilitate access to digital content in general education classrooms, and students preferred built-in features that did not set them apart from other students. Some activities and uses of technology still were not accessible for the students with visual impairments, which frustrated educators. General education teachers expressed that they experienced a learning curve when learning to teach students with visual impairments and indicated that they were willing to engage in training to better use technology to meet the needs of their students. TVIs expressed frustration with their experiences of being alone in solving issues related to helping students with visual impairments access technologies used in general education classrooms.