Title: Does teacher's disability matter? A case from students' preference decision between teachers with and without visual impairments teaching in Nepal's regular mainstream schools

Authors: Kamal Lamichhane; Takahiro Tsujimoto; Damaru Ballabha Paudel

Addresses: Center for Research on International Cooperation in Educational Development, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan ' Graduate School of Systems and Information Engineering, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1, Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan ' Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Nepal, Singha Durbar, Kathmandu, Nepal

Abstract: Utilising the unique dataset of teachers with or without visual impairments and students in Nepal's mainstream schools, we estimate students teacher preference decision. Results show significant difference on visually impaired teachers based upon whether students have opportunity to interact with disabled friends at schools or in communities. Additionally, longer the period of students to learn with blind teachers, greater the likelihood of increasing their preference decision: it is possible that this finding has causal effect. Our findings suggest that inclusion and visibility of disability in communities helps reduce discrimination and increase positive attitude on disability.

Keywords: blind people; visual impairment; teacher disabilities; discrimination; education policy; employment; gender; inclusive education; mainstream schools; Nepal; students; visually impaired teachers; case study; student preferences.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEED.2016.082173

International Journal of Education Economics and Development, 2016 Vol.7 No.3/4, pp.133 - 154

Received: 08 Sep 2016
Accepted: 14 Oct 2016
Published online: 09 Feb 2017 *

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