Sociální služba osobní asistence a problémové oblasti z pohledu informační a metodické podpory při poskytování služby v době pandemie Covid-19

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The Importance of Information Communications Technology for Pupils and Students with a Visual Disability in the Educational Process

My dissertation thesis deals with information and communication technologies in the context of education and their impact on the subsequent quality of life of individuals with sight impairment. The work shows that it appears essential to provide pupils and students with impaired sight not only with the standard volume of knowledge, but also with specific and social skills and competences which will become a tool compensating their impaired sight handicap. The objective of the practical section of my thesis consists in determining the specifics of the process of instruction of pupils and students with sight impairment focussed on information technologies and in comparing the acquired data with research results aimed at the majority population of pupils and students. The said issues were analysed using the quantitative procedure of questionnaire research and evaluated under the application of frequency statistics. The testing of hypotheses was based on the Chi-square independence test. The research also incorporated the target group of parents of pupils with sight impairment and their teachers. Significant factors affecting the optimisation of the education and instruction process as a whole in the above mentioned target groups were determined and compared. Based on the acquired data and their statistic evaluation I succeeded to prove a significant correlation between the level of acquired competences in the field of information and communication technologies and the level of sight impairment. The results of the empiric section also suggest that the education of students with impaired sight within the mainstream educational process shows considerable reserves as compared with the educational process applied in special schools for pupils with a health handicap. The theoretical section of my thesis is divided into three chapters focussed on the conceptual and material specification and definition of the problem. The introductory chapter deals with the theoretical issues of sight impairment and the individuals with this type of handicap. The second chapter presents the system of the education of pupils and students with impaired sight and the concluding chapter deals with information and communication technologies as the tools compensating the information deficit in individuals with sight impairment. In co-operation with the Special Educational Centre based in České Budějovice, the results of my dissertation thesis will present the basis of recommendations targeted at an optimised formation of specific skills and competences in pupils with impaired sight educated within the mainstream educational process. The theoretical output of my thesis will result in study materials for the branch of specific educational studies in the Faculty of Health Care and Social Studies of the University of South Bohemia