Blind children are not getting the support they need in school to excel with just one in six making it to third level education, new research today revealed.
Just 17 per cent of blind and visually impaired pupils go on to university compared to 55 per cent of those without a disability, according to the Association for Higher Education Access and Disability (Ahead).
It said the lack of Braille books and specialist technology in schools mean blind children are being disadvantaged.
The body, which is calling on the Government to take action, has drawn up a series of recommendations including providing DVDs and CDs with all school text books.
"Children must wait an unacceptable length of time before receiving a Braille book and often they do not get the entire book, but a chapter at a time," Ahead executive director Ann Heelan said. "It seems impossible to guarantee that a small group of children, 400 to 500 at most, can easily obtain books in Braille or electronic format.
"The research shows that blind and visually impaired children are very disadvantaged at secondary level as they are not getting the basic resources like books that other children take for granted."
Ahead is unable to estimate how many blind children are in schools but visiting specialist teachers deal with around 226 in the secondary system.
The research -
Seeing Ahead: A Study of Factors Affecting Blind and Visually Impaired Students going on to Higher Education - also reveals that while the number of mainstream pupils going on to third level has soared, the amount of blind kids have remained the same.
Ahead found that requests for Braille books has fallen despite studies showing those taught the skill from an early age are more likely to get a job later in life.
"In 2007 just one student in Ireland requested a Braille paper in the Leaving Cert and no students requested Braille papers at Junior Cert level," Ms Heelan said. "The Seeing Ahead report found that requests for Braille books are falling."
A number of recommendations have been outlined in the report which will be forwarded to the Department of Education.
These include the establishment of a database for blind children, a review of the current visiting teacher service, setting up a formal programme of Braille instruction and computer training and including DVDs and CDs with all school text books.
The report will be officially launched on Thursday.
PA