Experiences on teaching cursive writing to blind people in Santarém-PA

Abstract

This article is an experience report about a work developed through a practical workshop, with two blind people, students of the public education network, assisted by the Specialized Educational Service of the schools in which they are enrolled, residing in Santarém. The objective of the work was to develop and stimulate the cursive writing of the workshop participants, aiming at their assertion as literate citizens in society. Two young people, male and female, aged between 20 and 25 years participated in the workshop. The workshop was held over three days on June, 2022, at the headquarters of the Associação Santarena for the Inclusion of Blind and Low Vision People (ASSIC). During the workshop, the main difficulties that young people had on how to learn cursive writing to obtain a legible signature on their identification documents and other occasions that may require a signature were raised, being clarified during the workshop, as the practice progressed. Accessible teaching materials were created using the high relief method so that, in a sensorial way, they could become familiar with the types of line tracing and geometric shapes and, consequently, with the letters of the alphabet in their various forms, creating a mental map , to start the cursive writing process. For each participant, a training notebook was prepared and used during the workshop, in person, and in asynchronous activities. At the end of the workshop, the students successfully wrote their signatures in cursive writing. The results of this research showed us the need to encourage, in institutions that work with special education in the municipality of Santarém, teaching projects from the perspective of inclusion, autonomy and rehabilitation of blind people in society.