Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Tuesday, 15 October 2024
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills
Education Needs of Visually Impaired Students: Discussion
11:00 am
Ms Rafiat Agbona:
I am a 23-year-old student and am currently pursuing a master's degree in Maynooth University, where I also pursued my undergraduate degree. I am here today to share my personal experience of the transition from secondary school to university as a blind student. Unlike other students in my position, I was not born blind. I went blind when I was 12 years old, the summer before I entered secondary school. I was under the impression that my secondary school would be prepared for my arrival as there were other students with disabilities attending the school. Unintentionally, that became more of an issue for me later.
I was assigned an SNA, who was going to be sight-guiding me and reading and writing for me. I did not know how much of a hindrance that would be for my future. The SNA was with me at all times and had to sit next to me. I did not realise that it would impact me socially. Other students were able to socialise and get to know people, whereas I was stuck to an SNA 24-7. The situation got worse when I had to go to a separate centre in my school where the students with disabilities usually assembled and remain there for lunchtime. I should not have been there for lunch.
I should have been in the main school where I was educated. The other students with disabilities had to be there because of certain intellectual disabilities. After much pleading, the school eventually let me go back to the main school to eat lunch, but this still did not help as my SNA had to have eyes on me 24-7. This allowed me to make one friend over the span of three years. As time went on I argued my case and so did my mother and I was able to gain a little bit of independence over time. I learned to use my white cane and I learned Braille, which took up a lot of my spare time and placed a lot of stress on me in addition to everything else I was doing, like every other student. Over time I had to also argue for different things like going to the shops at lunchtime like every other student or even staying after school to do choir, which I loved. In third year I wanted to do transition year, which I was strongly advised not to. I was told it would be really difficult for me and I would not be able to join in all the activities. Looking back, I realise the school did not want me to participate because it saw me taking day trips or participating in any other non classroom-based activity as a burden.
All these things I missed out on in transition year would have made life a lot easier for me. I would have been able to learn to be independently mobile in different environments, had more time to socialise and build on my social skills and been able to have spare time to do things such as learn Braille, which I do not know very well now. All this was really difficult for me as I entered college. I used the laptop during the six years, but I was strictly permitted to just type my notes and save them and that was it, so when I got to college it was still really difficult for me to do things like email lecturers. Everything took me a lot longer to learn. Education is already difficult for college students starting normally. Everything took me a lot longer and it was a lot more stressful on me. Even though I am doing a master's I had to take a year off and I fell behind during my undergraduate, which is unfortunate, but everything I have achieved to date was because of my frustrations and everything I wanted to further.
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