Air pollution and its impact on children with disabilities: Teachers' awareness and influencing factors

Abstract

This study aims to find out teachers’ awareness of air pollution, how to response to it, how air pollution impact on children with disabilities and teachers’ attitudes on this issue through a survey of 3,221 teachers who are teaching in inclusive, integrated and special enviroment in 6 provinces and cities in different regions in Vietnam. The results showed that most of the teachers have the correct awareness about air pollution, responding methods with air pollution, and are aware of the negative impacts of air pollution on children with disabilities and children without disabilities, they felt worried and concerned more about this issue. According to teachers, children with disabilities suffer more negative impacts than children without disabilities. Children with chronic diseases are most affected by air pollution, followed by children with motor disabilities, then children with neurocognitive disorders, and finally, children with hearing impairment, visual impairment and children with language disability. Most of teachers were actively teaching children with disabilities deal with air pollution impact. Teachers' awareness and attitudes about air pollution and its impact on children with disabilities depend on age, working area and training status. There is a need for more research to clarify the impact of air pollution on the education of children with disabilities and education on responding skills for children with disabilities in the future.