Risa Nara

This study aimed to identify the professional structure required by teachers working in primary schools for deaf students in Japan. Ten university teachers training in education for deaf students at Japanese universities participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using the KJ method of qualitative analysis based on similarity, with 409 codes, 12 categories and 99 sub-categories extracted. The results were aggregated into teaching skills and knowledge and collaborative skills categories, clarifying the specific structure of expertise required for teachers of deaf students. Teaching skills and knowledge have already been integrated into teacher training programmes; however, curriculum development for collaborative skills is required. The results of this study suggest that teachers need to acquire a wide range of professional skills to educate children with hearing impairment. We recommend improving social mechanisms for training these teachers in the future.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether people with visual impairment in Japan are provided with useful information by their ophthalmologist while being notified of their disability, and what information is needed by these individuals upon being diagnosed. An analysis of the responses from 197 respondents revealed that only 30.45% had been provided information by their ophthalmologist upon being diagnosed, while 69.55% patients were not provided any information. When asked about the form of media they used to receive information, the most frequently used was the internet (16.68%). As web accessibility is not sufficient in Japan, making information media accessible to the visually impaired is a challenge. Finally, when asked about the type of information they would like to be provided, the most common answer was information about peer support. This suggests that ophthalmologists are expected to (1) understand the needs of the visually impaired and (2) provide information appropriately and promptly.

In this practice, a child with low vision was given a series of instructions that required the use of various low vision aids (monocular, magnifier, and tablet) in distance vision/near vision situations with and without tasks. The objective of the practice was to have the child understand the characteristics of each low vision aid and how to decide which to use in what context. During this guidance, through the efficiency of the use of each low vision aid in the tasks and the interaction during instruction, the child was able to understand that monocular and magnifier are quicker and more suitable for distance/near vision without a task and that iPads are more suitable for distance/near vision with work because of their ability to store images, and based thereupon was able to put into practice decisions on which to use. Upon review six months after the guidance, the continuation and generalization of the educational effect were confirmed. These results suggest that when teaching children with low vision to use various low vision aids, it is important to provide specific situations in which they can use the aids and compare the efficiency of each aid, and to provide feedback to help them understand the characteristics of each aid and then encourage them to use the aids independently based on their characteristics.

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The present research investigated individual factors that may impact self-efficacy in teachers who provide consultation services in early intervention at schools for children who are blind. Individual questionnaires were distributed by mail to 65 such schools. Teachers at 58 schools completed all items which resulted in 335 valid questionnaires (70.68% response rate). The results from the principal component analysis indicated homogeneity with a principal component loading of at least 0.59; Cronbach's α reliability coeffıcient indicated internal consistency with a value of at least 0.88, allowing creation of subscales consisting of 7 consultation topics. Categorical multiple regression analysis indicated that the following personal factors impacted all subscales: (a) the total number of years a teacher had worked at schools for children who are blind, (b) whether a teacher possessed a special educational teaching license for children with visual impairments (no < yes), and (c) whether a teacher had experience providing consultation (no < yes). In addition, visual, medical, and psychological scales were affected by gender (female < male), and parenting scale, developmental scale, school readiness scale, support scale, and psychological scales were all affected by whether a teacher held a kindergarten license (no < yes). However, the total number of years teaching, affiliated school group (preschool elementary, junior high or high school) and if the school had a preschool program did not have any impact on the results.

The purpose of the present study was to examine effects of difference in means to decrease visual difficulty (utilization of tablet, low vision aids, or close-proximity vision) on nondisabled college students' attitudes toward academic supports for peers with low vision. Participants were instructed that they received disability disclosure and help seeking by student with low vision. After reading disability disclosure sentences, students without disabilities (N = 382) answered a questionnaire based on interpersonal image and attitude toward support service for students with low vision. The results showed that conditions of using tablet and close-proximity vision gave more difficult image than that of using low vision aids. However, condition of using tablet induced more negative attitude toward academic support for students with low vision than another conditions. On the other hand, women perceived positive image compared to men. Moreover, women also had more positive attitude toward support service for students with low vision. In conclusion, these results will help students with low vision to choose the method disability disclosure and help seeking.

This research considers the opportunities enabled expert teachers, who oversee early education consultation at schools for the visually impaired, to enhance their self-efficacy in providing consultations. We aimed to clarify what kind of opportunities enhanced their self-efficacy for each consultation categories. Participants included twelve teachers who 1) have over seven years of early education consultation experience, 2) have worked as the manager of an education consultation department, and 3) possess a special education teacher certification in area of visual impairment. Opportunities leading to their self-efficacy were explored by consultation category using semi-structured interviews. 616 opportunities were extracted using a qualitative analysis method. Thereafter, these opportunities were classified into eight broad categories consisting of 65 subcategories. This analysis revealed that daily educational activities and training enhanced the self-efficacy for vision, childcare, developmental and psychological consultations. Participation in the school attendance committee enhanced the self-efficacy for school attendance consultations for preschool children. Visiting regular kindergartens enhanced the self-efficacy for supporting these kindergartens. Collaboration with other professionals enhanced the self-efficacy for medical consultation.

This research project examined the impact of nondisabled college students' individual factors on their attitude toward support services for students with low vison, specifically in evaluating the validity of particular services. In all, 418 nondisabled students participated in the investigation. We set up a scenario in which the students with low vision were asking the university administration for reasonable accommodation in campus facilities; we then asked the participants to answer a questionnaire regarding newly introduced low-vision support services for disabled students. Our factor analysis on the collected answers showed that services can be categorized into classroom support, grade assessment, and organizational support, which revealed the multidimensionality of the service content. We investigated participants’ individual factors (presence/absence of conversation with the disabled, friends with the disabled, interests on support services, and desired job types) and examined how these characteristics affected their evaluation of the validity of the support services by using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). We found that the effect of interests and job type factors were evident in all support services. Comparing one group with a keen interest in the subject with a group without it, or a group that wishes to have support jobs with one that wishes to have general jobs, the former of both showed a more positive attitude toward support services. Conversation with disabled peers, on the other hand, showed an apparent effect only on organizational support, and the group had conversation with the disabled showed a more positive response than the non-experienced group. The results suggested the need and importance of positive encouragement by disabled students themselves in improving and expanding the support system.

【問題の所在と目的】<BR> 視覚障害児・者やその家族、あるいは、視覚障害児・者に関わる仕事に従事されている方が、日常生活等で困難を感じた際、相談する機関が非常に限られているため、多くの場合、問題を抱えたまま、解決できずにいることがある。また、相談をしても必ずしも問題解決がなされないこともある（奈良，2011）。あるいは、専門機関に相談するほどではないが、知りたいこと、困っていることを有する場合も少なくない。そこで、視覚障がい者ライフサポート機構では、専門的な相談以外の日常的な工夫等を視覚障害児・者やその家族、そして、視覚障害児・者に関わる仕事に従事される方々に向けた情報発信等を目的に活動を行っている。本研究では、本団体が行なっている情報発信事業について分析を試み、情報発信の傾向、及び、今後の課題を検討することを目的とする。<BR><BR>【方法】<BR>対 象 2010年７月から2012年２月までに執筆された記事275件とした。<BR>手続き 本団体のスタッフ６名でKJ法による分類を行なった。<BR><BR>【結果と考察】<BR> 275件の記事を分類した結果、６カテゴリが生成された。カテゴリの内訳としては、小学校から大学、盲学校や弱視学級といった学齢段階に応じた学校生活や学習に関するカテゴリ、就職や職場に関するカテゴリ、携帯電話やパソコン、スマートフォンに関するカテゴリ、ルーペや単眼鏡等の補助具や便利グッズ等のカテゴリ、おしゃれやコミュニケーション、援助依頼や障害の伝え方等の生活・コミュニケーションに関するカテゴリ、スポーツや旅行等趣味や余暇に関するカテゴリであった。このうち、学校や学習に関するカテゴリが43.7％と最も多く、次いで、生活やコミュニケーションに関するカテゴリが20.1％を占めていた。これは、本団体のスタッフに学生が多いことや寄せられる相談も学校生活や学習に関するものが多いためと推察される。一方、就職や職場に関するカテゴリは4.2％、携帯電話やパソコンに関するカテゴリは6.0％と少なかったため、今後、情報発信を積極的に行う必要があると考えられる。<BR><BR>引用・参考文献<BR>奈良里紗１，中途弱視高校生の相談経験から生まれた私の夢，障害学研究，p7,2011．<BR>視覚障がい者ライフサポート機構 www.viwa.jp