• Description of this section.
• Strengths of provision in special schools for pupils with visual impairment.
• Outreach role of special schools for pupils with visual impairment.
• Recommendations based upon good practice.

Description of this section

Clunies-Ross and Franklin (1997) found that approximately 10% of children with a visual impairment attended a special school for pupils with visual impairment in Great Britain in 1995. This figure compares with approximately 22% in 1988. This reflects the trend that pupils with a visual impairment are increasingly being educated in mainstream schools, either in fully included settings or in mainstream schools with a support base. At the time of writing the report there were fewer than 20 special schools for pupils with visual impairment funded by LEAs or voluntary organisations (e.g. RNIB, Royal London Society for the Blind) in the UK. Some of the schools provide residential facilities, and some specialise in the education of children with additional disabilities.

Strengths of provision in special schools for pupils with visual impairment

Evidence gathered throughout this project has demonstrated that special schools for pupils with visual impairment attach considerable importance to mobility and independence education. This is reflected in the resources and procedures they have in place: most schools employ their own mobility officers, and it is common practice for schools to have a written mobility policy document and a substantial written mobility and independence curriculum.  Special schools for pupils with visual impairment usually have access to a range of other professionals such as physiotherapists and occupational therapists, who may also be based in the school. The following is a summary of key strengths identified by the research:

• The long history of providing mobility and independence education to children makes the Mobility and Independence Educators in special schools for pupils with visual impairment some of the most experienced in the country. Many also have specialist knowledge of working with children with multiple disabilities and visual impairments (MDVI).
• Substantial whole-school policies and curriculum documents have been written.  Policies often include the induction of staff in mobility and independence techniques.
• Many specialist adaptations have been made to the school buildings (many of which were not purpose built), which provide a ‘reference’ of solutions that could be transferred to other environments, including mainstream schools.
• Some special schools for pupils with visual impairment offer residential provision and provide a ‘24 hour curriculum’, which includes many aspects of independent living skills.
• Referral of children for an assessment of mobility and independence is usually automatic upon entry to the special school for pupils with visual impairment. Assessments are usually ‘holistic’ in nature, and may involve the input of a number of different professionals, such as a Mobility Officer or Rehabilitation Officer, a physiotherapist, and a low vision expert.

Regarding the delivery of mobility and independence education, respondents working in special schools for pupils with visual impairment nevertheless identified challenges which are common to those raised elsewhere. These include problems of time and the related negotiation with class teachers, as well as concerns about holiday provision and effective communication with parents/carers and other agencies.

Outreach role of special schools for pupils with visual impairment

A number of the interviewees from special schools for pupils with visual impairment are involved in outreach work. For example, this could fall under the remit of those schools with Beacon status. There are a number of mobility and independence educators working (and usually based) in special schools for pupils with visual impairment who also work in mainstream schools in the region (e.g. BIRMINGHAM), or offer advice or training to professionals working in mainstream settings on mobility and independence issues (e.g. WORCESTER, EDINBURGH). This appears to be a very positive collaboration because it draws upon the expertise of the special school staff as described previously.

Recommendations based upon good practice

There are opportunities for special schools for pupils with visual impairment to support mainstream mobility and independence provision through outreach work. Particular areas include mobility and independence curriculum development, awareness training of staff, delivery of some aspects of the mobility and independence curriculum, demonstration of environmental adaptations, and carrying out environmental assessments. Beacon school status and regionalisation are mechanisms that encourage and support this collaboration.

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