The Digital Social Interactions of Students With Visual Impairments: Findings From Two National Surveys
By Kelly, Stacy M.; Smith, Thomas J.; Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness, pp. 528-539Publication Date: September 2008
Study compared the use of computers and telephones by preadolescent and adolescent students with visual impairments and those with other disabilities using data from two surveys. The surveys, the Special Education Elementary Longitudinal Study and the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2, were based on interviews with parents of 9,744 children age 6-12 and 9,228 adolescents age 13-16, all of whom had disabilities. For this study, the surveys were used to address (1) what proportion of preadolescents and adolescents with visual impairments used a computer for e-mail and chats, and (2) how often visually impaired preadolescents and adolescents received telephone calls from friends. The study found that both groups of students with visual impairments used computers and received phone calls significantly less often than did students in some other disability groups. The authors conclude that visually impaired students may not engage in computer chats or telephone conversations with peers because they do not have the necessary social and technological skills, and recommend that teachers of students with visual impairments intertwine the teaching of social skills and assistive technology to address deficits in these areas. They also recommend that information be generated to train recent graduates and veteran teachers of visually impaired students in this area of specialized instruction.
Published by: AFB Press (Website:http://www.afb.org/Section.asp?SectionID=46)
American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) (Web Site: http://www.afb.org )
This publication is included in the library of the National Rehabilitation Information Center (NARIC), accession number J55524
