The role of assistive technology devices in fostering the participation and learning of students with visual impairment in higher education institutions in Tanzania

Abstract

Purpose of the article This study explored the role of assistive technology devices in facilitating the participation and learning of students with visual impairment in higher education institutions in Tanzania. Materials and methods Twenty-one respondents were purposively involved in an open-ended questionnaire survey and semi-structured interview, seventeen of whom were students with visual impairment and four were transcribers. Data were analysed using descriptive and thematic analysis. Results and conclusions The study found that students with visual impairment were well-acquainted with the meaning of assistive technology. However, their knowledge was limited to the assistive technology devices available at their institution. Most of the students with visual impairment emerged as dependent users of assistive technology devices, who depend on the support of either sighted students or a more skilled person. The study further established that the institution under review has only a few basic assistive technology devices, at the disposal of students. The study also established the benefits of assistive technology for students with visual impairment as giving them greater access to educational materials and widening their employment prospects. Based on these findings the study recommends that higher education institutions provide adequate and sustainable funding for assistive technology to ensure that students with visual impairment benefit from the education they get. Furthermore, students with visual impairment need encouragement to make use of the modern assistive technology devices available and learn how to use them to ease their sense of exclusion and dependence on sighted students. Implications for rehabilitation The accessibility of assistive technology for persons with disabilities is a human right just as access to medical or other health services, and education. People with disability including those with visual impairment need utmost support for them to acquire and access AT to enhance their participation in learning and contribution to societal development without unnecessary inhibitions. Students with visual impairments (VI) require a variety of learning support mechanisms to cater for their learning and mobility needs to be productive in society. Stakeholders should develop strategies that focus on supporting and meeting the learning needs of students with VI. These interventions may include assessing the nature of the learning disability and environmental modifications to enhance the learning performance of such students as well as ensuring both the availability and accessibility of AT devices and products for students with VI. Inclusion of assistive technology in the national disability policy can serve as a guide for supporting students with learning difficulties including those with VI on a sustainable basis and within the national framework. When included in the policy, education stakeholders and people with VI can have grounds to fight for and defend their rights enshrined in both the constitution, legal instruments, and policy documents.