FRIENDSHIP FORMATION BETWEEN VISUALLY IMPAIRED AND NON-VISUALLY IMPAIRED PUPILS IN SELECTED INCLUSIVE BASIC SCHOOLS IN GHANA

The purpose of the study was to describe the nature of friendships formations that exists between pupils with visual impairment and their non-visually impaired peers in 3 inclusive schools in Ghana. I adopted a phenomenology research design in recruiting 14 pupils with visual impairment in this study. One-on-one interviews were used to collect data for the study. Using thematic analysis, data from the one-on-one interviews were manually analyzed via themes that emerged from the data. Results from the study showed that there existed some levels of friendships between the non-visually impaired and non-non-visually impaired pupils in the schools and this friendship formations centred on assistance provided by the non-visually impaired. While some of the pupils noted that they mutually engaged in positive relationship with non-visually impaired, some thought otherwise and yet others described it as only perfunctory. I recommended that educational authorities in Ghana should put in place, a policy in schools that will solely focus on the formation of friendship between pupils who are visually impaired and the non-visually impaired. Teachers should help develop the capacity of both pupils with and without visual impairments to make and maintain stable and satisfying friendships through play and group activities.