Visual Impairment and Majoring in English as a Foreign Language

Abstract:

This study is intended to investigate visual impairment and majoring in English as a foreign language (EFL). A qualitative approach is adopted to explore the experiences of five visually-impaired Palestinians during their BA program in EFL. Despite the difficulties they faced while studying at the university, the five participants managed to excel in a major that is not common to the visually-impaired in Palestine. Four key themes are highlighted in this study: why the participants chose to major in English, what challenges they faced during their BA program, how they coped with these challenges and what final results they obtained, and their recommendations for better inclusion of the visually-impaired in the Palestinian higher education context. As there is no specific research addressing the issue of visual impairment and majoring in EFL at the university level, this study is intended to fill a gap in the literature.