Taking Culture into Account: A Maori Perspective on Visual Impairment

• Published in: Journal of visual impairment & blindness Vol. 107; no. 5; pp. 388 - 392
• Main Authors: Bevan-Brown, Jill, Walker, Taingunguru
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.09.2013; Sage Publications, Inc; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC; American Foundation for the Blind
• Subjects: Access to Education; Access to Health Care; Adjustment (to Environment); Barriers; Beliefs, opinions and attitudes; Blindness; Community Relations; Consciousness Raising; Costs; Course Selection (Students); Cultural Influences; Culture conflict; Daily Living Skills; Data Collection; Demographic aspects; Education; Educational Improvement; Elementary Schools; Ethnic Groups; Ethnic relations; Foreign Countries; Indigenous Populations; Interpersonal Relationship; Interviews; Language barriers; Malayo Polynesian Languages; Maoris; Meetings; Minority Groups; Negative Attitudes; Part Time Faculty; People with disabilities; Postsecondary Education; Questionnaires; Reading Difficulties; Secondary schools; Social Attitudes; Social Influences; Students; Studies; Surveys; Teacher Aides; Teachers; Teaching Methods; Thematic Approach; Vision disorders; Visual Acuity; Visual impairment; Visual Impairments; Visually Impaired Mobility; New Zealand
• ISSN: 0145-482X; 1559-1476
• DOI: 10.1177/0145482X1310700508

Some barriers were related to studying Maori subjects, while others were of a more general nature.\n Cultural suggestions The participants believed that Maori children who are visually impaired should be given the opportunity to be fully involved in cultural activities, such as kapa haka (Maori performing arts) and learning the Maori language from kohanga reo (total-immersion early childhood centers) upward if they so chose. [...]community members, including people from the visually impaired person's own ethnic group, should ask themselves: "Are people being denied access to community and cultural activities and experiences because of their visual impairment, and, if so, what needs to be done to change this situation?"