TY - JOUR T1 - Stories of the Visually Impaired EFL Learners in Turkey AU - Ulum, Ömer Gökhan AU - Ekinci, Ayşe Nur AU - Bacanak, Kadriye Dilek PY - 2024 DA - February Y2 - 2024 DO - 10.47806/ijesacademic.1394086 JF - International Journal of Educational Spectrum JO - IJES PB - Hakan ULUM WT - DergiPark SN - 2667-5870 SP - 66 EP - 90 VL - 6 IS - 1 LA - en AB - Sighted and blind individuals live alongside each other in different parts of the world. In the basic principle of being human, sighted and blind individuals are not different from each other. Visually impaired individuals differ from sighted individuals only in terms of their special needs arising from their visual impairment. Meeting these special needs is important for visually impaired individuals to have equal opportunities with sighted individuals in various fields. As a basic human right, both parties need to access to quality and meaningful education. This situation is not different in foreign language education. Hence, this study aimed to explore what visually impaired students have been through in the process of learning English as a foreign language. The participants of the study, which was designed as a narrative research, were 5 visually impaired university students who studied English as a foreign language. In the study, which was designed as a qualitative research, data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The results of the research revealed that visually impaired students have had both positive and negative experiences during their English education. KW - Special Educational Needs KW - Visual Impairment KW - Learning English as a Foreign Language CR - Attachoo, B. & Sittihikul, P. (2020). The lived experiences in English language learning of the Thai visually impaired students in the inclusive classroom. Canadian Center of Science and Education 14(1) 91. https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v14n1p86 CR - Çelik, G. (2019). Attitudes of visually impaired students' families, peers with normal development, peer families and teachers towards visually impaired students. (Master’s thesis). https://tez.yok.gov.tr CR - Çınarbaş, H. İ. (2016). Experiences of students with disabilities in an English language teacher education program: a case study on preservice teachers with visual impairments. (Master’s thesis). https://www.tez.yok.gov.tr CR - Eğitimde Görme Engelliler Derneği [Association for the Visually Impaired in Education]. (2016). Report on the difficulties encountered by disabled university students in foreign language learning. http://eged.org/node/419 CR - Engelli ve Yaşlı Hizmetleri Genel Müdürlüğü [General Directorate of Disabled and Elderly Services] (2021). Disabled and elderly statistics bulletin. https://www.aile.gov.tr/media/88684/eyhgm_istatistik_bulteni_temmuz2021.pdf CR - Jenkins, J., Cogo, A., & Dewey, M. (2011). Review of developments in research into English as a lingua franca. Language teaching, 44(3), 281-315. CR - Karaca, D. (2021). Educational and social experiences of visually impaired university students: A phenomenological study. (Master’s thesis). https://www.tez.yok.gov.tr CR - Nidirect Government Services (2019). Children with special educational needs. https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/children-special-educational-needs CR - Omer, A. H. (2015). Teaching students with visual impairments in inclusive classrooms. (Master’s thesis). https://www.academia.edu/29841393 CR - Özel Eğitim Hizmetleri Yönetmeliği [Regulation on Special Education Services]. (2018). Part one, chapter one, purpose, scope, basis and definitions. https://mevzuat.meb.gov.tr/dosyalar/1963.pdf CR - Özel Eğitim Hizmetleri Yönetmeliği [Regulation on Special Education Services]. (2021). Part two, chapter four, education programmes, individualised education programme. http://orgm.meb.gov.tr/meb_iys_dosyalar/2021_09/13145613_Ozel_EYitim_Hizmetleri_YonetmeliYi_son.pdf World Health Organization. (2019). World report on vision. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241516570 CR - Villalba, Karen. (2022). Learning to “see” again: Overcoming challenges while teaching English to visually-impaired students. Studies in Technology Enhanced Learning, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.21428/8c225f6e.b71fdd12 UR - https://doi.org/10.47806/ijesacademic.1394086 L1 - https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/3551427 ER -