Administrative and Social Support Services for Students with Disabilities in the Selected Higher Education Institutions of Amhara Regional State-Ethiopia

Getachew Walelign Asres

doi:10.7176/ppar/9-1-03

Abstract

This study was conducted in universities found in Amhara regional state. There are 7 public universities in the region. One university was selected from each generation. Hence, Gondar was selected from 1 st generation, Wollo from 2 nd generation and Debre Tabor from the third generation universities. Qualitative case study design was used for this study. The participants of this study were students with disabilities, teacher, students without disabilities, special needs directorates, and library and students service coordinators. Four methods of data collection instruments were used to obtain valid and reliable information from different sources, and for the purpose of triangulation. The result showed that most students with disabilities obtained different administrative and social support services from universities. On the other hand, the findings showed that the actual support services provided for students with disabilities in the sample universities were not in line with its higher education proclamations. It is recommendation that the university should work more on the social accessibility and administrative support services given for students with disabilities. Keywords : Social and administrative assistive services, students with Disability and Higher education institution DOI : 10.7176/PPAR/9-1-03

Highlights

The higher education expansion and supportive education policy in the present Ethiopian context have opened a window the opportunity to increasing number of citizens with disabilities to benefit from higher education taking courageous move to tackle what Fuller et al (2004) call invincible hurdle of higher education
The support services provided for students with disabilities are: academic by teachers, administrative, social, parental and peer (Dash, 2009, Kochung, 2011), If the students have the opportunity to get all the support services by these stakeholders, their academic, and social skills are enhanced
Study Site The study was conducted in higher education institutions found in Amhara regional state

Summary

Introduction

The higher education expansion and supportive education policy in the present Ethiopian context have opened a window the opportunity to increasing number of citizens with disabilities to benefit from higher education taking courageous move to tackle what Fuller et al (2004) call invincible hurdle of higher education. Most teachers who have been teaching students with different disabilities have two and above years of experiences This long teaching experience helps the participants to provide genuine and real information about the conditions of support services in general and students with disabilities in particular. Teachers taught these students in which different disabilities were found at different batches. Some of them were support provider with recognized fees by the university, some were note readers and some were classmates This close relation that they had helps them to give detail, genuine, valued and reliable information about the administrative and social assistive services for students with disabilities inside and outside the classroom. Case 3 during the interview mentioned that in addition to the provision of stationary and assistive devices, the university have been providing different trainings for students with disabilities like study and life skills, job seeking skills, CV writing, entrepreneurship and social skills in order to empower students in all aspects of their life

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