Provision of Pedagogical innovative practices to ensure teachers help learners with visual disabilities acquire foundational literacy skills: Findings from a multi-location study in India”

Pushpanjali Gupta; Saraswati Ghosh

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i06.62130

Provision of Pedagogical innovative practices to ensure teachers help learners with visual disabilities acquire foundational literacy skills: Findings from a multi-location study in India”

Author(s)	Ms. Pushpanjali Gupta, Dr. Saraswati Ghosh
Country	India
Abstract	In an inclusive classroom, each learner is unique. Some students prefer learning through printed materials, others through auditory means. Many benefit from audio-visual content, while some are more comfortable with computer-based instruction. For learners with visual disabilities, tactile (e.g., Braille) and auditory modes of learning are preferred. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (commonly known as the Right to Education Act or RTE) has laid the foundation for barrier-free elementary education within neighborhood inclusive schools, ensuring that children with visual disabilities can access equitable learning opportunities. Building on this, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has prioritized achieving universal foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) in primary schools by 2025. The policy underscores that education can only be meaningful if the basic learning skills—reading, writing, and arithmetic—are achieved at the foundational stage. For learners with visual disabilities, the ability to read and write through tactile formats such as Braille or via auditory tools is a critical prerequisite for further schooling and lifelong learning. As highlighted by various government and non-government surveys, addressing this need is urgent. India faces a learning crisis, with nearly 55% of students in elementary schools lacking foundational literacy and numeracy skills. This means they are unable to read and comprehend basic texts or perform simple arithmetic operations with numerals. Learners with visual disabilities are also represented within the estimated 55% of learners who have not yet attained foundational literacy and numeracy skills. This paper explores recent continuous professional development (CPD) initiatives for teachers working in the field of visual disabilities. It highlights innovative pedagogical approaches designed to enhance foundational literacy among children with visual impairments, with a focus on improving their reading, writing, and comprehension skills during the preparatory stage. The study employed a multi-step qualitative research methodology at multiple locations. Participants included teachers from special and inclusive schools, as well as resource teachers (as identified under SSA, Sikkim and Meghalaya) who support general education teachers in inclusive settings. Educators responded to research questions that revealed their existing teaching practices. Subsequently, researchers—trained in the field of visual disabilities—introduced innovative instructional methods. These were implemented by the educators over a continuous two-week period, allowing for an experiential and practice-based approach to the research. The findings suggest that when teachers adapt instructional strategies based on an understanding of the individual needs and abilities of learners with visual disabilities at the preparatory level, it significantly enhances student participation. This in turn supports progression to higher grades and fosters long-term success.
Keywords	Assessment, disabilities, abilities, tactile, residual vision, visual acuity, visual efficiency, assistive devices, empowerment.
Published In	Volume 7, Issue 6, November-December 2025
Published On	2025-11-30
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i06.62130
Short DOI	https://doi.org/hbdsm4

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Provision of Pedagogical innovative practices to ensure teachers help learners with visual disabilities acquire foundational literacy skills: Findings from a multi-location study in India”

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