Challenges and Opportunities of Students With Vision Impairment In Using ICT: The Case of Selected Preparatory Schools, Departments and Faculty of Addis Ababa University
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2011-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Information and communication technology influences various sectors including
education. Today it becomes meaningless to produce students who are ICT illiterates and
most professions require lCT graduates. Due to this, the education sector of almost all
countries have made attempts to incorporate lCT courses in their curriculum. In Ethiopia
this Information and Communication Technology course is given as an introduction for
most college and university students. It is also given for all students in the preparatory
schools. printed the course book in ink for grade 11 and 12. There were many students
with vision impairment who were attending their classes in these universities and
preparatory schools.
The central aim of this study is to investigate the challenges and opportunities of students
with vision impairment using 1CT The participants of the study 154. were students with
vision impairment who attended and are attending the 1CT course in the Minilik II
preparatory school. Yekatit 12 preparatory school and six departments (Amharic. English. Afan Ommo, Sociology, PSIR, History) and faculty 0/ law 0/ the Addis Ababa
University. The other participants. 18, were lCT teachers, School Administrators/ department heads, and Education professionals/experts. The data were collected using
questionnaire. interview. and focus group discussions. To analyze this data. qualitative
and quantitative methods were used.
As the findings, there was little awareness on ICT course in the selected sites. ICT course
was not given for department of Amharic, English, Afan Oromo, PSIR and History. The
first, second and third year students with vision impairment at department of Sociology
and Faculty of Law had not take the course. Bur there were some students with vision
impairment who had take the course from the department of sociology and faculty of Low. In addition. students with l'ision impairment in the Minilik If and Yekatit 12
preparatory schools did not take the course. Concerning the attitude of teachers. there
were negative attitudes on lCT course related to students with vision impairment. This creates negative feeling on most 0/ students with vision impairment that they are not
equal with the Sighted students. They explained their discontent for not taking lCT
course. because they feel that they are far from the technology. Moreover. it makes them
feel behind the time and not to be users of technology and increased their dependency on
use personal reader and writer for every educational support. Due to this there were no
practice of 1CT course for most of the students. Majority 0/ these students with vision
impairment also did not have support system of hardware, software, transcribed lCT
hooks of Braille. audio and large print
On the other hand. the Ministry of Education did not adapt and transcribe the ICT ink
book into brad. large print and audio for the use of students with vision impairment. This
shows that the Ministry of education which announced the inclusive policy. contradict
it self excluded the needs of students with vision impairment
ICT course should be given or' students with vision impairment fulfilling the necessary
hardware. software and other accessibilities for the need of the students so as to make the
visual/v impaired students producti1'e citizens.
Description
Keywords
Challenges and Opportunities, of Students, With Vision Impairment