Training needs of educators for students with visual impairments and additional disabilities: A qualitative inquiry

Currently, 3% of children in the United States have a visual impairment. An estimated 50%–75% of these children have additional moderate to severe disabilities. Unfortunately, many physical education teachers and teachers of the visually impaired have difficulty including children with visual impairment and additional disabilities. A lack of appropriate training limits students’ opportunities to improve motor skills and engagement in physical activity. The purpose of this research was to determine the training needs of teachers and support staff of children with visual impairment and additional disabilities through the voices of parents and educators. Focus group interviews were conducted with findings organized under two broad sections entitled (a) barriers to participation and (b) training needs to support students with disabilities. A Universal Design for Learning framework was used to analyze the results revealing the need for a variety of trainings and the use of flexible curricula to effectively instruct and support children with visual impairment and additional disabilities.