Coping Beyond Inclusion: A Narrative Inquiry into Stress and Coping among Visually Impaired Students in Nepal

Abstract

This study aims to explore how VI students develop coping strategies within an inclusive mainstream school in Nepal, and the purpose of this study is to interpret them through the theoretical lenses of “Stress and Coping” and Hindu cultural beliefs. The study employed a narrative research design. Four VI students at the secondary level were purposively selected from two inclusive schools based on having visual impairments, enrolment in secondary level (grades 9 to 12), and willingness to participate with consent. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using open-ended questions. This study reveals that coping is a dynamic and evolving process that unfolds through interaction with challenges, continuous appraisal of challenges, access to and use of available resources, and the construction of meaning over time in the social, cultural, and institutional context. To overcome the challenges and survive in school education, VI students develop and adopt several coping strategies. Among them, peer support, self-resilience, utilization of modern technologies, familiarizing with the surroundings, and active listening and memorization play a central role. However, coping strategies were predominantly individual and peer support. This shows the significant gap in policies and practices of inclusive education.