Tecnologias assistivas em ambiente computacional como recurso de inclusão de deficientes visuais no contexto de escolarização: a concepção dos professores

Abstract

The process of inclusion of children with visual disabilities in school requires teachers knowledge, skills and abilities in relation to educational resources offered by Assistive Technologies. This study aimed to investigate and identify the teachers profile and thought on the knowledge and how to do relative to Assistive Technologies in the computing environment as a resource to include visually impaired in a public school of basic education (primary and secondary education) on the city of Araçatuba-SP. And even, it proposes a reflection on the use of these technologies in the classroom and resource classroom, based on the teachers arguments. The study was characterized by a qualitative and quantitative approach. Initially, it was included literature review of authors among which are: Freire, Morin, Perrenoud, Mitller, Carvalho, Mantoan, Valente Almeida. Aside from the literature review, it was conducted fieldwork with individual interview with 22 public school teachers (classroom and resource classroom), in order to know their views about: the inclusion of Assistive Technologies; the use of such technologies with the visually impaired; obstacles and advantages relative to use of Assistive Technologies; and received guidance on the possible use of these resources. In the data analysis procedure, we used the methodological approach of the collective subject discourse. The results showed the teachers difficulty to access the information on Assistive Technologies in a computer environment; the persistence of problems in teacher training; the lack of information about students with special educational needs and support staff; and the poor communication between the teachers of the classroom and the resource classroom.