Volume 10, Number 4

An Assessment of ICT Support for Students Living with Disabilities at the University of Namibia

  Authors

Mathew Haitota¹, Chirimbana Moses² and Haimbangu Malakia³, ¹Mathew Haitota Students Support Services University of Namibia (Main Campus), ²University of Namibia (Oshakati Campus), ³Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture (Omusati Directorate of Education)

  Introduction

The purpose of the study was to assess the ICT support for the students living with disabilities at The University of Namibia. A qualitative methodology was used through the use of an in-depth face to face in interview which was administered to 12 participants who were lectures and disabled students from the University of Namibia disability Unity. The participants in the study were selected through the use of the purposeful strategy. The study findings unveiled that PCs cell phones and internet, software programmes, projectors and white boards, classroom televisions and radios downloaded app videos and braille’s and hearing aids are some of the ICT equipment available for the students at living with disabilities at the University of Namibia. The study also established that lack of training in administrators, lecturers and disabled student who are in the disability unity of the University of Namibia in ICT equipment usage, lack of technical support from the University, lack of ICT resources, lectures low content knowledge and limited computer knowledge of the lectures for students living with disabilities are some of the challenges faced by students living with disabilities at the University of Namibia. The study also found out that there is need for management collaboration and support ICT resources for students living with disabilities. The study also revealed that the provision of incentives to the lecturers teaching students with disabilities will improve the lectures utilisation of ICT gadgets during the teaching of students living with disabilities at the University of Namibia. In addition, the study also recommended that monitoring and evaluation of the ICT support for the students living with disability need to be strengthened at the University of Namibia. Furthermore, the study also recommended that there should be collaboration between the various educational stakeholders in the provision of ICT support to students living with disabilities at the University of Namibia.

  Keywords

Disability, Support, ICT.