The Inclusion of Visually Impaired and Physically Impaired Students in Ethiopian Public Higher Education Institutions: the Case of Addis Ababa University
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Date
2012-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study uncovered the policy environment and the practice of inclusion in Ethiopian public
higher education institutions in particular focuses to Addis Ababa University. This research
followed a sequential exploratory mixed design that is predominantly governed by qualitative
enquiry and supported by the quantitative approach. Accordingly, this study used in-depth and
semi-structured interviews, questionnaire, focus group discussion, document analysis and
observation. In this study, 17 key informants (8 cases, 3 higher officials from Ministry of
Educat ion, 4 uni versi ty officials and 2 chair students from visually impaired and physically
impaired st ud ents' associations of the universit y), 59 physically impaired and visually impaired
student s, 63 non-disabled st udents and 39 teachers. The study used different instruments to
support and triangulate the qualitative data which was obtained from the key informants. Similar
major findings were obtained almost from all the participants. Both the qualitative data and the
quantitative data unmasked the problem. Inadequate strategic and practical concerns, absence of
university legi slation on disability issues, serious inaccessibility problems and attitude based
exclusions were the major findings of the study. Physical inaccessibility related to buildings and
their respective facilities and academic inadaptability were found to be the recurring themes.
Lack of awareness, negative attitude, lack of policy at the university level and insufficient
commitment were some of the causes to the problem. A workable national policy environment
was also discovered in the study. The need for considerable concern toward the strongest sense
of inclusion both at national and institutional levels, national strategic programs, higher
education quality assurance standards and a uni ve rsity legislation emanated from the Higher
Education Proclamation 650/2009 were some of the major recommendations.
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Keywords
Ethiopian Public Higher Education Institutions