The narrative of blind college students about their academic experiences

Abstract

Inclusive education, as a transversal modality of education in Brazil, has required the development of pedagogical strategies in the educational field in Higher Education. Currently, an increasing number of students with disabilities are admitted to various Brazilian universities in different undergraduate courses. This brings challenges to the processes of curriculum organization, evaluation and implementation of strategies that contribute to the access, permanent attendance and completion of the course. In this context, this article aims to analyze the narratives of blind university students about their academic experiences during Higher Education, aiming to contribute to the broadening of new fields of intelligibility about the process of inclusion in this level of education. The study was developed in a Brazilian university (Federal District), from the semi structured interviews with two blind students during a semester. The analysis of the study culminated in the following results: a) curricular challenges, and b) meanings of the academic inclusion. It can be inferred from the analysis carried out, the lack of knowledge on the part of blind students about their rights concerning access to proper adaptation throughout the schooling process. In addition, pedagogical strategies, when developed and offered to the participants, were not based on pedagogical practices aimed for the blind subject, but on casual and personal choices made by their respective teachers.