TEDI 3 Week 3 - Exclusion from the Curriculum

Abstract

In this video, Brian Watermeyer talks about how visually-impaired learners experience exclusion from the curriculum. He discusses how students with visual impairments desire to participate in schooling but experience barriers with inaccessible learning materials and teaching techniques. These experiences can be both alienating and prevent the child from experiencing instances of mastering content, which has negative impacts on their confidence, undermines their sense of belonging, and impacts their ability to solve problems and navigate the world. Brian discusses how students experience feelings of isolation or removal from their peers in both mainstream and special education, as well as feelings of failure and loneliness in common learning situations. Brian also discusses how teachers' negative attitudes towards making the curriculum accessible contributed to the isolation experienced by learners with disabilities and exacerbated hopelessness and feelings of inadequacy.