LIVED EXPERIENCES OF STUDENTS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS AT SIM UNIVERSITY IN ZAMBIA: A HERMENEUTIC PHENOMELOGICAL APPROACH
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Date
2018
Authors
Simui, Francis
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The University of Zambia
Abstract
This study focuses on lived experiences of Students with Visual Impairments (SwVI)
while pursuing their studies at ‘Sim’ University (Pseudonym) in Zambia. Anecdotal
evidence from the university records showed that a significantly low number of
approximately 0.001 percent of students with impairments in comparison to the
recommended 15 percent by the World Health Organisation (WHO) were present at
Sim University. Within the 0.001 percent, approximately 70 percent were classified as
students with Visual Impairments.
The research objectives that guided this study were to:
i). Describe the lived experiences SwVI face at university.
ii). Explore enablers that empower SwVI achieve academic success at university.
iii). Explore disablers faced by SwVI at university.
iv). Develop a framework for interpreting lived experiences of SwVI at university
A qualitative methodology driven by Hermeneutics Phenomenology research design
was applied. In addition, purposive sampling technique was used to enlist seven SwVI
to participate in this study. Participants volunteered to voice their lived experiences
and clusters of themes emerged thereafter. The themes were generated using the
‘Simui's Hermeneutics Crossword Analysis (SHCA) framework, a product of the
current study. Emergent from the lived experiences of SwVI was a host of enablers
and disablers that represent their felt worlds while at Sim University. The silent voices
expressed their felt vulnerabilities and triumphs, resilience and frustration, while
pursuing their studies in an environment favouring and dominated by the sighted.
Amidst the disabling environment, five ingredients proved pivotal to SwVI’s academic
success namely: (i) positive attitude, (ii) family support, (iii) peer support, (iv)
institutional support, and (v) beneficial partnerships. It is clear that the lived world of
SwVI had more disabling than the enabling factors. With the exception of a positive
attitude, the other four enablers pointed to the ‘dependence syndrome’ on the sighted
that SwVI were reduced to within an exclusive learning environment. To this extent,
positive attitude was singled out as the most important enabler among others to the
success of SwVI at Sim University. The positive attitude showed itself in various ways
such as resilience, determination, innovation and self-motivation. Even where the
support from the sighted was not available, a sheer determination, combined with
resilience and innovation in the face of oppression was enough for SwVI to progress
through the academic ladder.
Emerging from the study are the ten recommendations three of which are: (i) develop
and implement an inclusive policy to guide practice; (ii) involve SwVI in decisionmaking
process affecting their academic progression; and (iii) improve on the
accessibility to the learning environment and content. In a nutshell, whereas resources
are limited in universities similar to Sim University, SwVI carry with them unexploited
mental resources that administrators, managers and teaching staff can tap into and
devise innovative ways to combat exclusion. If only SwVI can be engaged and
consulted in decision-making process, institutions are bound to break-through to
multitude of challenges encountered when implementing inclusive education.
Description
Thesis
Keywords
Visually impairment--Students--Zambia