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.

摘要

就目前研究人员所知，关于埃塞俄比亚高等教育机构盲人学生经历的研究非常有限，因此本研究旨在为该课题做出一些贡献。该研究侧重于从巴赫达尔大学的两个校区随机挑选的 22 名盲人学生的经历。为此，使用案例研究设计，通过深入访谈、关键知情人访谈以及关于支持服务的可用性、参与者所经历的挑战及其应对机制的焦点小组讨论来生成数据。研究结果显示，尽管大学每年和每月为参与者提供一些经济支持，但仍有一些挑战影响着参与者的学术和社会体验。