Tecnologia assistiva: contribuição para a inclusão escolar dos deficientes visuais

Abstract

Schools should be an environment that promotes the active participation of people with disabilities. In this sense, Assistive Technology (AT) is an instrument of accessibility, acceptance and inclusion. The general objective of this research was to verify Assistive Technology as a resource for the visually impaired, from the entrance to the institution's building, to the teaching and learning process in the classroom for the context of high school and higher education, available at IFPI, campus Teresina Central. The methodology was of a qualitative nature and started from the bibliographic overview referring to AT. Subsequently, there was a documentary analysis referring to inclusive education provided by the IFPI, including the observation of the institution's physical structure, as well as the available TA. The sample consisted of nine students with visual impairment or low vision. As for the data collection mechanism, it was carried out through interviews. It was found that the educational institution guarantees its students with some type of disability resources to include them in their educational context, as well as guaranteeing them architectural structure with accessibility, in addition to the specialized service, manufacture and construction of teaching resources. The TA produced is generally the result of disciplines from higher education and projects dedicated to PIBID. With the surveys carried out, most students highlight the use of AT as a tool that adds knowledge, inclusion, mobility, independence, contributing not only to the school environment but also to social life.