Access to information for students with visual impairment at the university of education, Winneba

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to explore how students with visual impairment access academic and social information on campus and to identify support systems that could be put in place to enhance access to information, to facilitate their adjustment in the University. Data was gathered from 120 students with visual impairments and 2 resources persons. One-on-one interview and a close ended questionnaire were used for the data collection. Data from the questionnaire were analyzed on Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 21.0 (IBM SPSS 21.0), and descriptive statistical method was used to calculate the frequency and percentages for each item-by-item analysis. The findings revealed that academic information was found to be the most needed information by students with visual impairment followed by social, financial, employment and health. The students with visual impairment got information to meet their academic needs through discussions with colleagues, visiting the Resources Centre for Students with Special Needs, browsing the Internet and relying on lecturers. Most of the students preferred braille format depending on their level of sightedness. Also, library facilities, equipment and staff were found to be inadequate. The challenges facing students in accessing information include: inadequate print materials, mobility difficulties, poor library facilities and slow Internet connectivity. Recommendations made include a written service policy, provision of assistive technology devices and computers with Job Access with Speech (JAWS) software to improve information services for students with visual impairment