“And BAM. You Have a Connection” - Blind/Partially Blind Students and the Belonging in Academia Model

Oct 15, 2026

Blind/partially blind people are underrepresented in post-secondary education and often lack equitable opportunities to develop a sense of belonging. This study analyzes narratives from 28 blind/partially blind students across Turtle Island (colonially called Canada) using Teng et al.’s (2020) Belonging in Academia Model as a conceptual framework. Thematic findings refine how belonging develops through affiliation, familiarity, acceptance, interdependent relationships, and equity, informing more responsive, culturally safer, and inclusive pedagogical practices.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Blind/Partially Blind Peoples’ Experiences of Post-Secondary Education

“And BAM. You Have a Connection”: Blind/Partially Blind Students and the Belonging in Academia Model Laura Yvonne Bulk University of British Columbia TAL Jarus University of British Columbia Laura Nimmon University of British Columbia Abstract Blind/partially blind people are underrepresented in post-secondary education and lack equitable opportunities to develop a sense of belonging. This study shares narratives of 28 blind/partially blind students from across Turtle Island (in what is colonially called Canada) using Teng et al.’s (2020) Belonging in Academia Model (BAM) as a conceptual framework. Thematically analyzed findings suggest blind/partially blind students’ perspectives offer nuance to the BAM’s conceptualization of how belonging develops through affiliation, familiarity, acceptance, interdependent relationships, and sense of equity. Based on blind/partially blind perspectives, the former trusting connections dimension was renamed interdependent relationships. By attending to the underrepresented perspectives of blind/partially blind students, stakeholders can become more responsive to the experiences of people from equity-deserving groups. Understanding facilitators and barriers to belonging could result in culturally safer and more inclusive pedagogical practices. Only when we create spaces where everyone can belong will higher education move toward being more just. Keywords: accessibility, belonging, blind, blindness, disability, inclusion, higher education Résumé Les personnes aveugles/malvoyantes sont sous-représentées dans l'enseignement postsecondaire et manquent d'opportunités équitables pour développer un sentiment d'appartenance. Cette étude partage les récits de 28 étudiants aveugles/malvoyants detoute l'île de la Tortue (aujourd’hui appelé le Canada) en utilisant le Modèle d'Appartenance au milieu Universitaire (BAM) de Teng et al. (2020) comme cadre conceptuel. Les résultats analysés thématiquement suggèrent que les perspectives des étudiants aveugles/ malvoyants offrent une nuance à la conceptualisation du BAM sur lafaçon dont l'appartenance se développe à travers l'affiliation, la familiarité, l'acceptation, les relations interdépendantes et le sentiment d'équité . En tenant compte des perspectives sousreprésentées des étudiants aveugles/malvoyants, les intervenants peuvent devenir plus réceptifs aux expériences des personnes appartenant à des groupes méritant l'équité. Comprendre les facilitateurs et les obstacles à l'appartenance pourrait se traduire par des pratiques culturellement plus sûres et des pratiques pédagogiques plus inclusives. Ce n'est que lorsque nous créerons un espace où tout le monde peut appartenirque l'enseignement supérieur deviendra plus juste et équitable. Mots-clés: accessibilité, appartenance, aveugle, cécité, handicap, inclusion, enseignement supérieur Introduction A strong sense of belonging is correlated with academic performance, self-perceived competence, self-worth, and retention (Freeman et al., 2007; Pittman & Richmond, 2007, 2008; Vaccaro et al., 2015). A sense of belonging in post-secondary education may be particularly important for students from traditionally underrepresented or equity-denied groups, for whom developing this sense of belonging is more difficult (Lane-McKinley & Roberts, 2018; Strayhorn, 2012) . Throughout this manuscript, the experiences of disabled students will be discussed using identity-first (e.g., Canadian Journal of Higher Education | Revue canadienne d’enseignement supérieur 52:4 (2023) disabled person) language, rather than the person-first (e.g., person with a disability) language commonly promoted by non-disabled people across Turtle Island. Identity-first language, more commonly used within disability studies, indicates positive association with disabled people as a community of people with shared experiences (Dunn & Andrews, 2015; Hodges, 2015; Ladau, 2015) . Disabled people might include folks who i

FAQs

What is the main focus of the study?

The study examines how blind/partially blind students develop a sense of belonging in post-secondary education, using the Belonging in Academia Model as a framework.

How many student narratives are analyzed?

The study shares and analyzes narratives from 28 blind/partially blind students.

What framework is used to conceptualize belonging?

Teng et al.’s (2020) Belonging in Academia Model (BAM) is used as the conceptual framework.

Oct 15, 2026

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