Use of ICT to Promote Access and Participation
of Students with Disabilities in Higher Education:
Benefits and Challenges
Mr. Wyclife Ong’eta & Dr. Nyambura Salome
Department of Educational Foundations
Kenyatta University
Introduction
Disability prevalence by World Bank (2007) - 10-12% of global population
UNESCO (2011) – 186 million children with disabilities in the world
One third of all children out of school (75 million) have disabilities
90% of persons with disabilities in sub-Saharan African are unemployed
 UNESCO (2011) excluding persons with disabilities from workforce causes
loss of GDP 10-35.8%
Some causes for exclusion:
Attitudinal – Social or institutional attitudes that persons with disabilities
cannot or should not be educated.
Physical – inaccessible classrooms, toilets, dining etc
Pedagogical - little or no training of teachers in meeting the educational
and communication needs of children with disabilities.
Infrastructural – lack of, or, inaccessible transportation to school
Policy – presence of policies...but lack of strategies to address barriers
Lack of knowledge in identifying the best Assistive Technology (AT)
solution per individual with disability.
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The
UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2008), states that
persons with disabilities have the right to participate in all development
programmes.
UN
General Assembly (2009) recognised importance of including disability in all
MDG programmes as an importnat step for inclusive development.
Kenya
Vision 2030: Social Pillar, Build a just and cohesive society with social
equity in a clean and secure environment for all...
Constitution (GoK, 2010): Bill of Rights Chptr 4, Article 43 (f) Education
is a basic human right that every Kenyan must be accorded...Article
27...guarantees equality and freedome from discrimination for all Kenyans...
Kenya
The
Kenya Persons with Disabilities Act (2004) mandate to implement the rest
of the Act on the rights, privileges and protection of persons with disabilities
such as inclusion of persons with disabilities in education and training
programmes.
Disability
policy framework in Higher Education (2009) mandate enhance
inclusive education and effective access to the university content for students
with disabilities.
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UN
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006): states everyone
has a right to education...access to education is a fundamental right of persons with
disabilities.
Education
be provided, wherever possible, in an “inclusive” manner; within the
context of the mainstream educational system and not in a segregated setting.
Article 24 contains specific obligations that include the provision of “reasonable
accommodations” for students with disabilities. Inclusion of SWD in mainstream
schools increases their learning opportunities through interaction with peers and
encourages their participation in the life of community.
This
uniting process has a great impact on the societal development. Works
towards elimination of all physical and invisible barriers that hinder the provision of
education to learners with disabilities and other special needs in the ordinary
classroom and in the neighbourhood (GoK, 2003).
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The exclusion of persons with disabilities still prevalent...
Lack of assistive technologies to support students with disabilities
(SWD)
Discriminatory infrastructure in many institutions...no ramps or
steep ramps
High numbers of unemployment amongst people with disability
(PWD)..Quality of life of PWD significantly low compared to peers.
Lack of inclusive practices in mainstream schools and tertiary
institutions…pedagogical
Low access to Higher education...only 1% of undergraduate students
have disability.
Limited monitoring & evaluation on policy implementation.
Consequence: Lack of education by PWD dictates they’ll continue to miss
out on their lifelong benefits e.g. better job opportunities, greater
participation in society, improved health and better understanding of
civil rights.
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
The social model theory: Disability as something imposed on PWD
by the way they are unnecessarily excluded from full participation in
the society. Turns attention to identifying barriers that restrict full
participation.

ICF model theory: Focuses on dynamic interaction between health
conditions (diseases, disorders, injuries, traumas, etc) of PWD &
contextual factors (environment). Turns attention on the effect this
interactions have on SWD participation in academics.
Disability, therefore should be viewed as a dynamic & changing
experience defined by changing nature of experience…
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Accessible ICTs can bridge the gap in Policy and Practice
Accessible
ICTs have potential to
provide PWD with unprecedented
levels of access to education, skills
training and employment, as well as
the opportunity to participate in the
economic, cultural and social life of
their community.
Use
of accessible ICT enables, an
equitable learning space through
enhancing communication with
teachers and fellow students
(without disabilities), providing
access to learning materials and by
establishing a venue to complete
course work, assignments and
examinations.
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Unesco (2010) identifying best
assistive technology solution
often requires an in-depth
needs assessment to
understand how a difficulty or
impairment impacts computer
use and/or access to an
educational resource...by SWD
 Exs of ATs include:

 stand-alone devices that aid
mobility e.g. Wheelchairs and
communication e.g. hearing aids.
 Include hardware and software
that enable access to a computer
e.g. an adaptive keyboard or
screen reader.
 Default settings on computer
could be adjusted depending on
need.
Identifying best ATs for SWD
Use of alternative pointing or input device,
such as a roller ball or switch, may be
required.
Users who are unable to access a
keyboard using their hands or arms but
don’t have a good head, neck and upper
torso control may be able to type on the
keyboard using a mouthstick or head/chin
point.
The accent of the synthesized voice
may also be a challenge if not
contextualized to region.
Printed materials, videotapes, televised
presentations, overhead transparencies and
other visual materials also creates access
challenges. These barriers can be
overcome with alternative media such as
audiotapes, braille printouts, electronic text,
tectile drawings and aurial descriptions.
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Good infrastructure = Effective Communication
The design of buildings should not
present a barrier..in accessing ICTs:
External environment – parking
spaces, entrance doors
Horizontal circulation – internal door
design and width corridors, signage
and way-finding
Vertical circulation – internal stairs,
elevators and ramps
Facilities – accessible toilets, sinks
Emergency exits – auditory and
visual alarm systems, evacuation
policies, evacuation chairs
Accessible entrances – level entry or
a mixture of steps and ramp
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Benefits of ICTS in Education of PWD

General Benefits:
 Enables greater learner autonomy
 Unlocks hidden potential for those
with communication difficulties
 Enables students to demonstrate
achievement in ways which might
not be possible with traditional
methods
 Enables tasks to be tailored to suit
individual skills and abilities
 Benefits for SWD:
 Improve students' independent access
to education
 Able to accomplish tasks working at
own pace
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Benefits of ICTS in Education of PWD
Visually impaired students using the
Internet can access information
alongside sighted peers
Students with profound and multiple
learning difficulties can communicate
more easily
Visually impaired students using
internet can access information
alongside sighted peers.
Students using voice communication
aids able to gain confidence and social
credibility.
Increased ICT confidence motivates
them to use the Internet at home for
schoolwork and leisure interests.
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Benefits of ICTS in Education of PWD
Benefits for teachers and non-teaching staff:
Reduced isolation for teachers working in special educational fields,
enabling them to communicate electronically with colleagues
Support for reflection on professional practice through online
communication
Improved skills for staff and a greater understanding of access technology
used by students
Enhanced professional development and improved effectiveness in using
ICTs with students, through collaboration with peers
Materials already in electronic form (for example, from the internet) are
more easily adapted into accessible resources such as large print or Braille
materials.
Benefits for parents and care-givers:
Use of voice communication aids encourages parents and care-givers to
have higher expectations of children’s sociability and potential level of
participation.
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Conclusion
ICTs have been viewed as a critical tool in enhancing the access and
participation of SWD to education. Important for the stakeholders of
education to ensure the provision of the best ATs per SWD & an
equitable learning space for all students & staff regardless of their
disabilities. Key aspects to focus on:
Infrastructure – availability of ATs, computers, connectivity, institutions e.g.
banks, government offices etc
Availability of support – from government & agencies on promoting access &
participation of SWDs, provision of information e.g. media – brialle or audio
county editions, financial information etc
Needs assessment – according to Social Model & ICF model, profile the
levels of disability and target each adequately
Training – of staff and non-teaching staff on needs & trends in Special
education.
Co-operation research –research into needs and experiences of SWD &
faculty members, sharing of experiences and expertise, and research into the
development of new and better AT solutions and service-delivery models.
Evaluation – Implementation of various policy reforms must be monitored to
determine whether they will achieve their stated goals and to analyze and
interpret the results and inform further policy intervention.
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ASANTENI
Thank you
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