‘Not now but in the future’ investigating enablers and barriers to independence and readiness for higher education of learners with vision impairment in Turkey

Abstract

Despite recent emphasis within the literature on developing personal agency of learners with vision impairment through specialist educational provision to enable them to have control over their own life as independent and active individuals, little attention seems to be given to investigating how learners with vision impairment promote their independence skills in schools in Turkey. This study examined the views of 12 young people with vision impairment (aged between 16 and 19) studying at upper-level secondary schools through semi-structured interviews to gain an insight into how young people with vision impairment perceive enablers and barriers to their independence prior to starting higher education in Turkey. Interpretative phenomenological analysis revealed the following four superordinate themes relating to young people’s perceptions on internal and external factors affecting their independence and readiness for higher education: (1) personal characteristics (i.e., maturity, level of vision), (2) parental factors (i.e., feeling dependent to parents, parental attitudes), (3) educational support (i.e., access to curriculum, independent living skills training), and (4) people’s attitudes (i.e., low expectation, limited knowledge). Demonstrating the views of young people with vision impairment, this article has significance for inclusive educational practice and policy in Turkey since it provides evidence for professionals in considering how they may well provide educational support in order for young people with vision impairment to develop their personal agency. This article also offers valuable insights to previous research in different national contexts as it presents distinctive insights into how young people with vision impairment in Turkey identify the factors that enable or hinder their independence and participation.