Teenagers with visual impairment and new media: A world without barriers

Abstract

Mobile communication technology is an essential part of life of adolescents nowadays, and those with visual impairments are no exception. In focus group interviews with students from a school for the blind and the visually impaired in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, we found that, despite the visual nature of social media, they use and enjoy these resources as much as their sighted peers. These students are aware of the possibilities and constraints that social media might bring to them but, with the help of assistive technology, make the most of it. After listening to their voices, we noticed that it is high time we incorporate social media in our pedagogical practice, in order to develop their learning process and life skills.