**2. Objectives**

After reading this chapter, the readers will be able to:

	- Comprehend the status of inclusive education at higher education level in Pakistan.
	- Identify the barriers in an inclusive setting for visually impaired students.
	- Recognise higher education support for visually impaired students in Pakistan.
	- Find out the solutions for removing the barriers in the inclusive set-up at higher education level for visually impaired students.
	- Think about the future of inclusive set-up at higher education level in Pakistan.

Inclusive education is the educational approach, which really requires in-depth and philosophical strategies. Whereas higher education is the apex level of learning towards achieving life goals. To bring harmony at both levels, it is essential to comprehend the concept of inclusive education, status of inclusive education in Pakistan, understanding the barriers & their solutions and future of inclusive education in Pakistan, especially at higher education level for students with visual impairment. This document will reveal all the above-mentioned aspects in detail below.

#### **2.1 Understanding the inclusive education**

Inclusive education is defined as all students (students with disabilities and students without disabilities) learning together in an institute that accepts and acknowledges the diverse needs of students to ensure the quality of education for all through appropriate curricula, organisation, teaching strategies and resources used to overcome barriers to the presence, participation and achievement of all students in general education [1].

According to the parent's perspectives [2], they discovered that commonly developing students educated in inclusive education programmes with students with special education needs would increase respect, awareness and acceptance of their peers' needs, develop fewer prejudices and learn to be more helpful and supportive towards people with disabilities, according to parent's perspectives. It is compatible that inclusive education plays a role in challenging disabling attitudes by changing

#### *Perspective Chapter: The Barriers in Inclusive Set-Up for Students with Visual Impairment… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.109377*

non-disabled students' attitudes towards disabled people; however, it contributes to the development of a more inclusive society [3].

Smogorzewska et al. [4] define the need for a greater understanding of diversity, tolerance, acceptance of others and the use of prosocial behaviour in an inclusive classroom to promote development. Other studies had looked into the effect of academic learning. However, according to some studies, the presence of special education students in regular education classrooms is associated with slightly lower performance of other students who do not have special education needs [5].

Group work in colleges or universities in the form of communities of mutual learners allows for a balance of individuality and group effectiveness, ensuring that everyone progresses according to their ability and allowing all students 'to enter the culture with awareness of what it is about and what one does to cope with it as a participant'. Interactive learning spaces, particularly those mediated by dialogue, promote collective thinking and learning, improve academic achievement, social skills and social cohesion, and are especially beneficial to vulnerable student groups [6, 7]. As a result, promoting such interactive and dialogic learning environments would help to achieve the goals of inclusive education.

The United Nations passed a convention on the rights of persons with disabilities, abbreviated as (CRPD), which states that persons with disabilities and corresponding special education needs (SEN) should be educated in the general education system alongside students who are not disabled and that disabled candidates should not be excluded from the classroom due to their disabilities. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) established a human right for participation of people who are disabled and have special education needs, and it states that all people, regardless of their characteristics, must be treated equally. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) provided impetus for many countries to establish an inclusive education system in which students with and without disabilities learn and think together. Previously, students with special needs were primarily taught in separate classrooms and segregated settings.

The central theme of inclusive education is based on the education of a specific group of students with special education needs (SEN) in order to control special education customs that have traditionally segregated students based on a medical model of disability [8].

A substantial amount of research has been conducted to justify that inclusion from both the educational and social perspectives, due to the proven positive effects of educational inclusion on the academic outcomes of students with disabilities, as well as its positive impact on the subsequent social inclusion of people with disabilities in terms of additional academic opportunities and qualifications, access to employment and the development of personal relationships within the community. Because inclusive education entails educating everyone, it is critical to consider all of the potential benefits of inclusion for all students. Furthermore, the fact that most research on inclusive education has focused on specific groups of students, particularly those with disabilities and other special education needs, may cause us to overlook other effects on other groups of students and may be inconsistent with a definition of inclusive education that is geared towards all learners [9].

Inclusive education relies on educators at all levels of the system being committed to and willing to implement its underlying philosophy. This means that educational systems and higher education institutions must articulate an inclusive culture in which 'some degree of consensus… exists… around values of respect for difference and a commitment to providing all pupils with access to learning opportunities' [10]. Some argue that the core concept of inclusion only applies to certain groups or categories of people, whereas others argue that inclusion applies to everyone.

Inclusion does not only refer to diversity of ability; it also refers to other differences such as gender and cultural background, as well as the methods used to institute structure and address these differences [11]. Nonetheless, the concept has political implications. The concept of inclusive education is broad and complex, but it is ambiguous.

## **2.2 Understanding students with visual impairment and their needs in higher education**

Visual impairment is a sight problem that interferes with a student's academic goals. The official description given by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is 'an impairment in vision that, even with treatment, significantly impacts a child's educational achievement' (IDEA). The word covers both limited vision and blindness.

A student with a visual impairment can succeed in higher education institutions if the necessary accommodations and assistance are offered. In order to sparkle the student's ability to succeed in the classroom, it may be more significant than their legal or medical classification, educators frequently define pupils with visual impairments in terms of classroom functioning. Moderate, severe and profound visual impairments are the most prevalent levels in educational settings. These categories show the extent to which a student needs special education modifications in order to learn.

The objectives for teaching visually impaired pupils have been addressed and frequently adjusted as knowledge of the effects of the impairment on education has evolved.

### **3. Importance of higher education for visually impaired**

In today's scenario, students with visual impairment who want to succeed in higher education institutions must be able to deal with impairment-related academic difficulties. In this regard, students need to be aware of their disabilities, develop effective coping strategies to manage them, accept the advantages and disadvantages that come with them and be aware of the policies and support that are available.

Students with visual impairment may have some special educational needs that make it harder for them to access educational materials in the same way as their peers. However, this should not be interpreted as implying that individuals with special education needs cannot find alternative means of attaining the same level of education as others, nor should it be construed as implying that disabled individuals with the same type of disability can follow the same learning strategy.

#### **3.1 Potential needs**

The needs of international students can be divided into two categories, that is, personal and educational.

#### *3.1.1 Personal needs*

When they have 'personal needs', many VI students receive assistance from their home countries' families, friends and relatives. As a result, having a personal support
