An investigation into challenges students with visual impairment encounter at the University of Education, Winneba

Abstract

This study investigated the challenges students with visual impairment at the University of Education, Winneba encounter while participating in academic and social activities. Sixty two students with visual impairment were purposively selected for the study. A case study research design was used for the study in which questionnaires and observations were the main instruments used in collecting data for the study. The quantitative data collected were fed into the Statistical Package for the social sciences SPSS version 21.0 and analysed using frequency counts and standard deviations. Findings from the study revealed that the compound of the University of Education, Winneba is not friendly to students with visual impairment. The findings also revealed that students with visual impairment experience minor instructional challenges as a result of lecturers' awareness on disability related issues. The data also brought to light that the university academically includes students with visual impairment thereby promoting some level of socialization. However, findings from the socialization issues also revealed that students with visual impairment are not included in sporting activities since the university has no planned sporting activity that can enable students with visual impairment partake in hence students with visual impairment feel excluded. The result of this study further revealed some major problems encountered by students with visual impairment in the school; these include inadequate resource persons, poor terrain, and inadequate resources among others. Recommendations such as periodic in-service training for lecturers, employment of adequate resource persons and designing the compound and buildings to suit all students including students with visual impairment were made to limit the challenges of students with visual impairment in the university.