柳川リハビリテーション病院におけるロービジョンケア第9報―視覚障害児の就学状況

Low vision care in Yanagawa Rehabilitation Hospital. Part 9: Visually handicapped children at schools

　当眼科では過去3年間に6～18歳までの視覚障害児54名に，心のケア，視覚補助具の選定，訓練，就学などについて助言した。これら54名の就学状況は，普通学校34名（63％），盲学校11名（20％），養護学校7名（13％），聾学校2名（4％）であった。視覚0.02未満の学童・生徒は，知的障害のある1名が養護学校に通い，7名が盲学校に就学していた。高校生になると勉学の必要から盲学校に通う割合が増した。これ以外の児童・生徒の多くは普通学校に在籍していた。視覚を用いる勉学を容易にするために，視覚補助具を含めた支援を求めている。

　We advised 54 visually handicapped children during the past 3 years. Their ages ranged from 6 to 18 years. Advices were given regarding mental care,selection of visual aids,rehabilitation,and choice of schools. Ordinary school was attended by 34 students（63％）,school for the blind by 11（20％）,nursing school by 7（13％）,and school for the deaf by 2（4％）. Out of 8 students with the visual acuity of 0.02 or less,7 attended school for the blind. The other one attended nursing school because of mental problems. After the students reached the age to go to high school,many preferred to attend school for the blind because of visual problems needed for learning at the high school level. Younger students hoped to attend ordinary schools. There was a keen need to supply them with visual aids to facilitate their study using their own eyes.