VIDBE-Q Volume 67 Issue 2
The writing needs of students with visual impairment (VI) are often
expected to be different from their classmates without VI. There may be
differences in how students with VI plan or draft their writing, and some teachers
of students with visual impairments (TSVIs) indicated that students with multiple
disabilities are non-writers (Savaiano & Hebert, 2019).
In a recent study, only 50% of surveyed TSVIs in Nebraska reported
receiving adequate training to teach writing. However, 100% of the teachers agreed
that all writing purposes are appropriate for students with VI (i.e., for fun, for daily
living, to show knowledge; Hebert & Savaiano, 2021). One limitation of this study
is the small sample size (n = 24). Additionally, the focus of the study was limited
to one state, Nebraska, with a small population.
The purpose of this study was to build on the Nebraska study by conducting
a national survey of TSVIs. The survey included questions about teacher
preparation, beliefs about their role in supporting writing, the modes they report
using with students, and the proportion of writing practices they use with different
groups of students.
Method
We first had to estimate the number of TSVIs in the nation to be able to
estimate our response rate. See Savaiano et al. (in press) for our procedures. We
communicated with a contact in every state (two states were not able to
