Ableist imaginaries and silent exclusions
Parents’ perspectives of inclusive physical education for students with visual impairments in Nepal
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22421990 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Yadav Acharya (0009-0000-8137-5979, Tribhuvan University, corresponding author), Veerle Garrels (0000-0002-3237-5371, OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University), Daniel Giordani Vasques (0000-0001-8955-9676, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-14 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-15 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Sport Education and Society (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1357-3322 • E-ISSN: 1470-1243 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13573322.2026.2704081 |
| OpenAlex | W7168361095 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 50 |
Parents’ perspectives on inclusive education have gained increasing attention within educational research globally. However, little is known about how parents perceive the inclusion of students with visual impairments (VI) in physical education (PE) within integrated school settings. This study explores how parents of students with VI perceive and experience PE in integrated educational settings in Nepal. A qualitative research design was used, employing in-depth interviews with nine parents. The participants were selected via three integrated schools in Bagmati and Lumbini provinces. The interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. The analysis generated three themes, interpreted through critical disability theory: (a) ableist imagination of PE, (b) exclusion acceptance, silenced by gratitude, and (c) academic primacy and segregated physical education. The findings suggest that parents’ perceptions appear to be influenced by ableist norms, structural constraints, and limited socio-economic opportunities. The study further reveals that parents of children with VI often accept their children's exclusion from PE practical classes and remain silent rather than challenging exclusionary practices. Addressing this requires moving beyond integration toward inclusive PE practices that challenge ableist assumptions, promote structural and pedagogical adaptation, and engage parents as active partners.
Ableism · Hermeneutics · Intersectionality · Perception · Physical education · Qualitative research · Reflexivity · Semi-structured interview · Thematic analysis · Children's Physical and Motor Development · Inclusion and Disability in Education and Sport · Physical Education and Pedagogy
Dis/ability Studies
Sociologies of Disability and Illness
The Irregular School
Reading and Writing Disability Differently
Analyzing Qualitative Data
Still feeling like a spare piece of luggage? Embodied experiences of (dis)ability in physical education and school sport
Inclusion in Physical Education
Promoting inclusion and equity in education
Challenges and opportunities to implementing inclusive education
A Systematic Review on Inclusive Education of Students with Visual Impairment
A worked example of Braun and Clarke’s approach to reflexive thematic analysis
Doing Reflexive Thematic Analysis
Disability Rights and Wrongs Revisited
Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis
Barriers and Challenges for Visually Impaired Students in PE—An Interview Study with Students in Austria, Germany, and the USA
Adapted Physical Education
A Thematic Analysis Exploring the Experiences of Ableism for People Living with Cerebral Palsy
Precision ableism
Teachers’ attitudes towards inclusion in physical education
Challenges and opportunities in efforts towards inclusive education
Parental satisfaction with inclusion in physical education
The Education for All and inclusive education debate
Physical education, privatisation and social justice
Visually impaired students’ views on peer tutoring in integrated physical education
Physical education teacher education
Challenging ableism and the ‘disability as problem’ discourse
Physical education-related home–school collaboration
Invisible on the field
The physical education experiences of pupils with juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Dis/entangling critical disability studies
The sociology of disability and the struggle for inclusive education
Toward a Conceptual Understanding of Inclusion as Intersubjective Experiences
Decolonising disability
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |