Study of the inclusive, socio-relational and educational dynamics of students with visual disabilities in the school context

Students experiencing visual impairment have reported feelings of inadequacy in terms of school inclusion and encounter difficulties in establishing social connections with both teachers and peers. These difficulties have a detrimental impact on various aspects of their educational experiences, particularly their academic progress. In this regard, conducted two empirical inquiries aiming to explore two specific social inclusion dimensions within the educational setting: school integration and forming close relationships within the school en-vironment. Furthermore, the studies sought to analyze the correlation between school be-longing and self-esteem, as well as the connection between establishing close relationships at school and achieving academic inclusion. The recruitment for both studies encompassed students with varying levels of visual impairment, ranging from severe impairment to mild impairment, along with sighted students. The students were tasked with completing ques-tionnaires focused on exploring aspects such as school belonging, close relationships within the school environment, self-esteem, and academic inclusion. The results of the study re-vealed that students with visual impairment reported feeling significantly less socially included in comparison to their counterparts. The sense of school belonging was found to have a notable influence on specific dimensions of self-esteem, while the quality of social relation-ships with close friends had a significant impact on academic inclusion. There were no dis-cernible group disparities identified in terms of self-esteem and the cultivation of close social connections between students with and without vision impairment. The research underscored the school experiences of students with visual impairment, emphasizing the beneficial role of school inclusion in their academic journey and socio-emotional growth. It was observed that students facing visual impairment encounter socio-emotional obstacles within the school setting, warranting attention in future research and practical interventions.