視覺障礙教育是台灣最早出現的特殊教育，過去西方學者多認為特殊教育的出現，與工業化及國民義務教育的普及有關。工業化使得障礙者無法依靠傳統方式謀生，而必須接受特殊教育的訓練；義務教育為了能夠順利進行，將無法適應的學生送到特殊學校或班級。然而西方特殊教育的發展過程，以及西方學者對特殊教育的批判，是否適用於台灣的情況呢？為了從台灣本身的脈絡來思考與認識特殊教育，本文以特殊教育中歷史最長的視障教育為研究對象。運用歷史文獻、政府法規以及訪談資料探討與回答這個問題。結果發現台灣特殊教育有其迴異於西方社會的發展軌跡，而非工業化和義務教育普及化的結果。 Why and how did the special education for the blind start in Taiwan? Industrialization and mandatory education have been considered two main reasons leading to the emergence of special education in the West. The disabled were unable to make a living in traditional ways due to the changes following industrialization, and thus needed to be reeducated in a special educational system. On the other hand, those who were unfit for the regular education system were also sent to special education to keep mass education running smoothly. This study uses documentary sources, government legislation, and oral histories to explore the emergence and development of special education in Taiwan from 1891 to the 1970s. Results show that special education in Taiwan does not follow the path of the West, but has its own unique practice rooted within particular political, economic and social contexts.
