The inclusion of visually impaired students in a Lebanese private school : a case study

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to study the current status of inclusive education for low vision students, a subset of the visually impaired, in Lebanon, as well as identify the challenges facing proper implementation of an inclusive educational program, through a research performed at one inclusive private school in North Lebanon. It is also the aim of this thesis to provide recommendations regarding those challenges, and how to overcome them. The thesis begins with an introduction to the study, portraying the importance of the study, and detailing its significance as the first extensive paper about inclusive education of its kind in Lebanon. Following that, a literature review is presented, detailing the history of inclusive education and definitions of low vision, and giving an overview of what is involved in the inclusive education process. The literature review then zooms into Lebanon, and discusses the inclusive education situation in it. The methodology is presented next, where a qualitative study using interviews at the selected school was chosen. Following that, the results of the interviews with five students, five teachers, two head teachers, a special educator, and an inclusive education expert, are presented in a codified form, and a discussion of the results ensues. The thesis ends with recommendations on how to overcome the challenges of inclusive education in Lebanon, and include, but are not limited to; increased governmental funding for inclusive education programs; increased teacher training in inclusive education; increased community involvement in the development of inclusive programs; and increased awareness regarding low vision and inclusive education in Lebanese communities.