The person with visual impairment: considerations on of their participation in physical education classes

Abstract

The inclusion of pupils with special educational needs has become a major area of discussion in Brazilian education, therefore, this study aimed to analyze the participation trajectory of people with visual impairments in Physical Education classes throughout their formation process, from primary school to university. In order to do this, there were performed semi-structured interviews with 6 college students with visual impairments from Federal University of Paraíba, Campus I, João Pessoa-PB. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. After several readings, the survey results showed that 90% of participants did not perform the Physical Education classes in schools in regular education. Among the reasons for this to happen are the negative attitudes and lack of teacher preparation against the condition of the student’s disability, excluding them without even offering opportunities for participation in the classroom. Respondents reported that they were forgotten at the time of the Physical Education class, there was no concern, by the teachers, to include them, some even reported that they did not meet the Physical Education teacher throughout the whole school year. The survey participants also stated they sought specialized institutions to achieve the support that was not offered in regular school, showing, on the other hand, the positive intervention of Physical Education teachers in special schools. It is concluded that, despite the legal right to education, regular education students with visual impairments have not been included in Physical Education classes.