Undaunted Souls: The Experiences of Blind Students at Bahir Dar University

ABSTRACT

To the knowledge of the present researcher, studies on the experience of blind students in the Ethiopian higher education institutions are very limited, and thus this study is meant to make some contribution on the subject. The study focused on the experiences of 22 blind students, randomly picked from two campuses of Bahir Dar University. To that end, using a case study design, data were generated through in-depth interview, key-informant interview, and focus group discussions on the availability of support services, challenges participants experienced, and their coping mechanisms. Results of the study revealed that, though the university provided participants with some financial support on an annual and a monthly basis, several challenges were still affecting the participants’ academic and social experiences. The study has implicated the inclusion of blind students cannot be complete unless equal emphasis is given to ensure accessible instructional materials (in Braille or audio files), pedagogy, and facilities.

KEYWORDS:

• Blind
• challenge
• coping
• service

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.