What makes inclusive education work: perspectives and advice from students in Australia with a vision impairment, their parents and teachers

Thousands of students with a vision impairment or blindness attend mainstream schools in Australia. Their experiences depend on a number of pertinent factors, including teachers' understanding of the legal requirements to abide by the inclusive education agenda, the schools' understanding of the nature of vision impairments and the challenges they present, and their willingness to take on advice regarding adjustments to the curriculum, assessment, technology and learning environment. This presentation puts forward the voices of students with vision impairment or blindness, their parents and teachers, to provide a contemporary picture of the types of alternative formats available and used in schools today, including braille and assistive technologies. These voices share how alternative formats to print are being accepted and used in the mainstream classroom and the barriers students face when access is denied or not valued.