34;A.8 INVESTIGATION OF THE ACADEMIC NEEDS OF VISUALLY IMPAIRED STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KWAZULU-NATAL (WESTVILLE CAMPUS)". This study further highlighted some of the challenges faced by visually impaired students at the University of Kwazulu-Natal (WESTVILLE -Natal) Campus) from adequately achieving their academic goals.
INTRODUCTION
One of the primary challenges in addressing the needs of students with disabilities is the provision of tertiary course materials in accessible formats (Armstrong, 2002, . www.humanrights.gov.au/disability rights/education). Armstrong (2002.www.humanrights.gov.au/disability rights/education) strongly emphasizes that when material is not available in an accessible format, the student cannot participate fruitfully in other facets of university life, as their entire focus must be on it be able to access the material that their peers often take for granted.
RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY
If equality for students with disabilities is to be taken seriously, higher education institutions must urgently address this issue. Our higher education institutions must therefore ensure that their learning environments are conducive and stimulating, especially when it comes to students with disabilities.
AIM AND OBJECTIVES The overall aims of this study are
CRITICAL QUESTIONS
METHODOLOGY .1 Data Collection Plan
Data Management
A pilot study gives the researcher the opportunity to make the necessary adjustments before finalizing the research instrument that will be used in the study. Therefore, there was no need for any adjustments before giving the interview schedule to the sample population.
ETHICS
This process also enabled the researcher to identify broad themes, commonalities and any significant individual comments related to the research questions. The data was then categorized to reduce the large amount of information into smaller, relevant pockets of information.
DEFINITIONS OF KEY CONCEPTS
Reasonable accommodation: Any temporary or permanent change or adaptation to a job, or to the work, living or study environment that does not cause undue hardship to the University, which will enable a staff member or student with a disability set to participate or promote. in education or employment (UKZN Policy on Students and Staff with Disabilities, 2004: 3).
LIMITATIONS
DIVISION OF THE STUDY
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
Colleges and universities have developed systems that have provided qualified students with disabilities access to effective participation in academic and social programs (Hartman: 1993:9). Community awareness of the needs and problems of students with learning disabilities has increased (Niesen 1997:169, Levinson et al.
LEGISLATION
The UN has enabled the drafting of standard rules on the equalization of opportunities for persons with disabilities to provide governments with clearer guidance on the measures to be taken. The standard rules meant a strong moral and political commitment by the country to take action to equalize opportunities for people with disabilities.
EXISTING DISABILITY STRUCTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA
All of these clauses are important for the protection of all students, whether they have a disability or not (Department of Education: 2001). At UKZN, the institution is bound by its Disability Policy to provide an effective service to all, including persons with disabilities.
CAUSES OF BLINDNESS Lewallen & Courtright (2001,
MODELS OF DISABILITY
At the same time, it focuses on the individual, whereas the medical model uses diagnosis to create categories of disability and assumes that people with the same impairment have the same needs and abilities. www.vertou.demon.co.uklmodelspaper.htm). They had to be convinced that their roles needed to change from one of "treatment or care" to one of less intrusiveness and helping people with special needs take control of their own lives. www.vertou.demon.co.uklmodelsj)aper.htm).
SELF REPRESENTATION
People with disabilities first and foremost want to be seen as individuals and not just as a "disability". When you emphasize individuality first and disability second, it helps to emphasize the humanity of people with disabilities.
TERMINOLOGY
The following are myths and stereotypes about students with disabilities that often lead to negative attitudes. By enrolling larger numbers of students with disabilities, standard course content for students with disabilities will be covered.
SUPPORT SERVICES IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN SOUTH AFRICA
The Minister of Education, in investing in and making recommendations on all aspects of special needs and support services in education and training in South Africa, appointed the National Commission for Special Needs in Education and Training (NCSNET) and the National Committee for Support Services Educational (NCESS). ) (Department of Education, 1997: 1). The vision proposed by NCSNET INCESS is that of an education and training system that promotes education for all and fosters the development of individual and supportive learning centers that enable all students to actively participate in the educational process and ultimately participate as equal members of society. . This has generally not included a focus on disability and thus has resulted in minimal access for students with disabilities (Department of Education, 1997: 27).
OFFICE FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (OSD) - UKZN- WESTVILLE CAMPUS
The mission of the BSB is to ensure that students with disabilities have an educational experience equivalent to that of a non-disabled student. The BSB strives to ensure that students with disabilities have equal access to the academic programme. Data collected from BSB reflects that there are currently approximately forty students with disabilities actively using the services of BSB, of which six are totally blind, three are legally blind and seven are visually impaired (Database of BSB: 2004).
DISABILITY STATISTICS AT UKZN
BARRIERS TO LEARNING Oduntan (2003: 3) asserts that
For students with disabilities in South Africa, their eligibility for higher education has been and continues to be substantially influenced by perceptions of their abilities. Thus, students with disabilities have reported being denied access to specific courses because they are believed to be unable to meet course requirements. Crous believes that, in general, students with disabilities know and accept their disabilities well.
ATTITUDES
One of the biggest barriers people with disabilities face when trying to access mainstream programs is negative attitudes (Office of the Vice President, 1997:23). It is these attitudes that lead to the social exclusion and marginalization of people with disabilities. Another problem that people with disabilities face is when their ability to obtain an education and function in the world is judged solely by the limitations imposed by their disability.
REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION
Reasonable Accommodation aims to provide students with disabilities an equal opportunity as all other students to demonstrate their abilities. These adjustments are based on the principle that students with disabilities should neither be disadvantaged nor favored compared to other students. To make this open competition fair, students with disabilities are provided with a variety of accommodations to compensate.
STAFF DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES/CHALLENGES EXPERIENCED BY ACADEMIC STAFF
So, to compensate, universities are required under provisions of anti-discrimination legislation to make special concessions and accommodations for students with disabilities. Therefore, it is imperative that academic staff receive the necessary support in the form of guidelines and policies set out for accommodating students with disabilities by the institutions. Wardle (2000) is of the view that although it is important for students to refer to the disability service to find out what services are available, it is also important for other student services to be involved in supporting students.
TECHNOLOGY
It is hoped that, through increased education and awareness training, staff will anticipate the need to adapt academic materials into a format most accessible to the individual student. For this reason, Armstrong (2002, www.humanrights.gov.au/disability-rights/education) states that it is important for staff to assess the needs of each student at an individual level.
CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION
DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE .1 Age and Gender
Seventy-five percent (75%) of respondents received their academic material on audio tapes and had peers read to them. Ninety-four percent (94%) of respondents reported having no other disabilities. Nineteen percent (19%) of respondents stayed at home as they found this to be a more convenient arrangement.
SUPPORT SERVICES: (OFFICE FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (OSD)
All (100%) of the respondents sought OSD's services for liaison with both academic and non-academic departments and scholarship applications. Ninety percent (90%) of respondents sought OSD's services for reformatting notes. It was encouraging to note that all respondents (100%) rated OSD's services as good.
CHALLENGES
- Access to academic material
- Special Considerations by Lecturers
- Most pleasant experience with a staff member
- Most unpleasant experience with a staff member
Twenty-five percent (25%) of respondents reported their interaction with the student assistants as the most pleasant experience, i.e. Twelve percent (12%) of respondents reported that their experiences with the teachers were most pleasant. Fifty percent (50%) of respondents with low vision reported that the computer lab had limited resources for their use.
SUGGESTIONS TO IMPROVE SUPPORT SERVICES
They often participated in group study, which gave them the opportunity to exchange ideas and improve their understanding of the material. Workshops and outreach programs with members of the university community – to improve their understanding of the needs of visually impaired students;. This would be in line with one of the objectives, 3(e) of the UKZN policy on students and staff with disabilities.
SUGGESTIONS TO IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY
Providing adequate resources would enable students with disabilities to be independent and self-sufficient. It should also be noted that in Crous's study, a large number of students in his sample requested that all study materials and other documentation be made available in Braille, on audio and videotape (if applicable), and on CD-ROM or the Internet . One of the students recommended that the university obtain disk copies of prescribed books for the sole use of disabled computer users who cannot read the printed books.
OTHER COMMENTS Employment
This study highlighted the challenges that students with visual impairments face in adequately achieving their academic goals. It is further hoped that the findings of this study will increase the awareness among members of the university community of the needs of students with visual impairments. This would help staff better understand the needs of students with visual impairments and the accommodations they need to access academic materials.
Examinations
The OSD arranges specific training programs on the needs of students with disabilities with invigilators; A digital library should be developed so that students with visual impairments can access academic materials in electronic format. The perception of respondents is that academics did not understand the needs of students with disabilities.
General Recommendations
OSD, in collaboration with the Life Skills Officer, to arrange additional life skills training in self-reliance and self-advocacy for students with disabilities to allow them to approach staff on issues that directly affect them. The academic departments should have a special budget to meet some of the academic needs of students with disabilities ego photocopying transparencies or large print course packs. Through the university, provide work experience to students with disabilities by including them in the university's work study program.
CONCLUSION
Currently, many students with special needs are not eligible to participate in this program, as they receive a scholarship and are therefore not considered financially needy. These could be possible reasons for some of the barriers faced by students with disabilities at tertiary institutions. This is likely to ensure that the development is successful and effective in increasing access and improving the quality of experiences of students with disabilities in higher education.
FUTURE RESEARCH
Accommodation for people with disabilities: leveling the uneven playing field. http://www.ccc.newcastle.edu.aulstudentsupportlDisabilityResourceKit/overview%20af. How can you help this student perform to the best of his ability? http://www.1ow-vision.org/low-vision.html. Center for the Visually Impaired:. http://www.luphealth.comlhealth/blindness info.html Symptoms Guide. http://www.maine.edu/ac4.htm) -Academic access.
WHAT WAS THE LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION IN THE SCHOOL?
IN WHAT FORMAT DID YOU RECEIVE YOUR ACADEMIC MATERIAL?
IF YES, AT WHAT AGE DID YOU START READING BRAILLE?
DO YU HAVE ANY OTHER DISABILITY?
ONSET OF INCIDENT OF VISUAL IMPAIRMENT
- IF NO, AT WHAT AGE WAS THE ONSET OF THE VISUAL IMPAIRMENT?
WHAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE VISUAL IMPAIRMENT?
REGISTRATION AT UKZN (WESTVILLE CAMPUS) 1 IN WHICH YEAR DID YOU REGISTER AT UDW?
DEGREE OR DIPLOMA REGISTERED FOR
WHERE DO YOU RESIDE DURING THE ACADEMIC YEAR?
SUPPORT SERVICES PROVIDED TO THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED STUDENTS BY OFFICE FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (OSD)
- WHEN DID YOU BECOME AWARE OF THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE OSD?
- INDICATE THE SERVICES YOU UTILIZE AT OSD
- ARE THE SERVICES OF THE OSD ACCESSIBLE TO YOU?
- IF NO, HOW CAN THEY BE MADE MORE ACCESSIBLE?
- WHAT OTHER SERVICES SHOULD BE PROVIDED BY OSD THAT WOULD HELP YOU WITH YOUR STUDIES?
ACADEMIC CHALLENGES EXPERIENCED BY THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED STUDENTS
- DO YOU EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTIES IN COMMUNICATINGYOUR SPECIAL NEEDS TOLECTURERS/STAFF?
- DO YOU EXPERIENCE DIFFICULTIES IN ACCESSING ACADEMIC MATERIAL?
- WHAT SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS DO YOU RECEIVE DURING EXAMS OR TESTS WITH REGARD TO TIME, STRUCTURING OF QUESTIONS?
- HOW DO LECTURERS AND OTHER STAFF MEMBERS ACCOMMODATE YOUR INDIVIDUAL NEEDS WITHIN THEIR PROGRAMMES? EXPLAIN
- WHAT WAS YOUR MOST PLEASANT EXPERIENCE WITH A STAFF MEMBER IN ADDRESSING YOUR ACADEMIC NEEDS?
- WHAT WAS YOUR OST UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE WITH A STAFF MEMBER IN ADDRESSING YOUR ACADEMIC NEEDS?
- WHAT OTHER RESOURCES DO YOU UTILISE TO ASSIST YOU WITH YOUR STUDIES, E.G
- ARE THERE RESOURCES ACCESSIBLE?
SUGGESTIONS TO IMPROVE SUPPORT SERVICES
- WHAT ARE YOUR SUGGESTIONS TO THE UNVIERSITY TO IMPROVE SERVICES FOR STUDENTS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT IN
- WHAT ARE YOUR SUGGESTIONS TO IMPROVE UNDERSTANDING OF MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY OF YOUR DISABILITY?
- ANY OTHER COMMENTS?
