Current Condition of Sign as Visual Support at Special Needs Schools in Japan by Interview and Questionnaire Survey

Abstract

This paper aims to grasp the current conditions surrounding visual support in order to formulate guideline for sign planning at Special Needs Schools. For this purpose, we conducted field surveys and hearings with responsible persons at schools and research institutes which had past achievements in sign planning for domestic Special Needs Schools. Then, based on the results, we conducted a questionnaire survey on visual support at there by targeting department directors at 494 Special Needs Schools nationwide, which consisted of approximately a half, and aggregated and analyzed the results. Consequently, it was shown that the acquirement of graphics by students differed by types of handicaps that schools specialized in and classifications among schools depending on the forms of signs and that JIS occupied the highest proportions only at junior and senior high schools for physically disabled students and hearing-impaired pupils. In addition, the survey clarified that sign planning consistent with the whole society was required at Special Needs Schools.