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Documentation of students with visual problems needs in
Greek Academic Institutions
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Gkouvatzi Anastasia, 2Konstantinos Mantis, 3George Costa
1,2,3 Democritus
University of Thrace,
Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences
Introduction
The post secondary education enhances students’ development not only in
academic, intellectual and career development domains, but in personal and social
domains as well.
30 years ago, disabled people access to tertiary education and post secondary
training was very limited, almost non-existent. Over the years, active social, political,
and changes that were noted in the area of education, culture and sports ensured the
right of equal access in the sectors mentioned above.
Campus life carries the same importance for disabled students as for their non
disabled peers. Students who identify themselves to the institution, as having a
disability, are a subset of all students with disabilities, since some students with
disabilities may choose not to identify themselves to their institutions. On an estimated
428,280 students with disabilities that were enrolled at 2-year and 4-year postsecondary
education institutions, 18,650 students were blind or visually impaired (PEQIS,1999)1
In accordance to HESA (1999/2000)2 source, in a total number of 525140 first year
undergraduates in Scotland-England, 22290 have a disability and out of them 4% (892)
are Blind/partially sighted.
Accordingly in Greece after the assessment on the type and degree of disability,
the students may be enrolled in: a) mainstream schools attending either the regular
classroom with parallel support or special sections/classes of the school, or b) Special
Education Schools. The Special Education Schools cover pre-school, primary and
secondary education levels including vocational education. In the 2007/08 school year,
1
NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS (1999), An Institutional Perspective
on Students with Disabilities in Postsecondary Education, from the
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs99/1999046.pdf
2
Source: HESA 1999-2000, first year, full time, UK domiciled undergraduates, Scottish and English HE
institutions only, from the http://www.ces.ed.ac.uk/PDF%20Files/Brief032.pdf
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there were 22,813 students enrolled in programs of special education, out of which
16,845 attended mainstream public schools (special sections and regular classrooms)
while 5,968 attended Special Education Schools (of all levels and types)3.
The mass admission of disabled people in tertiary education was granted by law
in 1975, allowing the enrolment of disabled people in tertiary education without
national admission examinations at a percentage up to 3% (now 5%, Law N3794/09)
over the total number of admitted students. The increase of students with special
educational needs created new data for the support of these students. Our research
showed that on a total number of 597.000 students attending Greek universities, the
blind and partially sighted students do not exceed the number of 110 persons.
Literacy
Environmental/AT (adaptations-provisions)
Srivilailuck, Beale, Murray and Kidd (2005) studied the literature and showed that
the blind and partially sighted students face problems in architectural design and
learning environment. They believed that the collaboration of Architects and Electronic
computer engineers for environmental and assistive technology adaptations are required
to create an effective learning environment.
Vision-impaired students face tremendous obstacles in their quest to access learning
materials delivered in web-based and other electronic formats. Students receive
unprecedented access to information and these presentation modes provide them with
new learning opportunities (Armstrong & Murray, 2007).
During the last years, the navigational capabilities of this technology became quite
remarkable, but its use in practice presented unexpected difficulties. So, Craven and
Brophy (2003) suggested over time training for each new program’s versions. Screen
readers read horizontally and move from top to bottom. Frequently web pages are
organized in a complex, counter-intuitive manner that even the experienced users have
difficulties using the tab key in order to achieve good e-accessibility (Brophy & Craven,
2007).
Many librarians used software accessibility validation programs to determine
whether a Web page suffered from accessibility and/or compatibility issues (Lazar,
3
Ministry of National, Education, Department: Information Society.
http://www.ypehpth.gr/ktp/ktp_amea.htm
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Dudley-Sponaugle, & Greenidge, 2004). Pages with many links and layers, or very
long pages, can become extremely time-consuming to navigate. A plethora of books
and articles appeared discussing the internet accessibility issues, most notably Mates
(2000) and Guenther (2002).
Some students were engaged and participating effortlessly in the class experience.
Useful are Schiff (2009) observations after teaching and exercising to a group of blind
and visually impaired students:

Students needed tutors’ help. Even the more fluent students needed extra time
for certain exercises.

During the exercises, students were encountering not only conceptual difficulties
but difficulties in acclimatizing themselves to the screen.

The students needed three-hour duration for each session where they worked
quite well, for screen navigating and placing text into the search field boxes and
were eager to continue even after three if they had been a short break during the
period.

Of the eight students in the class, six were obviously following the presentation
and were deeply engaged.
To serve the academic needs of students i.e., class participation, study and
evaluation, a series of benefits and adjustments is required as: ability to read a
computer, take notes, and communication via paper and mail. So VI students would be
facilitated gaining access to information from library catalogues, databases, web-sites
and participation in any research process they wish (Schiff, 2009).
Interesting study of Schneider (2001) captured useful information about, (I)
characteristics of individuals with VI, (II) services to function independently such as:
assistive technologies (Braille, ICT, e-books, large print material), reader for library
material, unfamiliar settings, transportation, (III) rights and students responsibilities,
(IV) check list of services requested by VI students, (V) financial aid , (VI) advices for
application time (how to investigate vocational and postsecondary degree programmes,
(VII) transition for postsecondary education, (VIII) tips to be followed by candidates,
(IX) tips for students and instructors, (X) additional tips for instructors and (XI) check
list of information and advocacy Organisations.
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Aim
Many vision impaired people spend large amounts of their time in learning,
because of lacks in areas such as: environmental (architectural, assistive technology,
infrastructural material) and services (academic, administrative, social, cultural ….) The
purpose of the present study is to record the barriers encountered by students with visual
problems and formulate proposals compatible with the principle “Design for all”, to be
the university field of evolution of social equality.
Method
Sample
The sample consisted of 24 blind and partly sighted students aged 20-32, attending 5
Greek Universities. Students gave semi-structured interviews in concrete topics.
Analysis
The method that was adopted in this research was based on the principles of grounded
theory: For data collection, coding and synthesis, we used Grounded Theory and
content analysis for their interpretation and cross-correlation.
Results
Our results showed that the lacks on environmental access and academic needs
were sorted and scaled as:
Tab.1. Environmental lacks
1.
adapted assistive technology (ICT services)
17
2.
Braille labels, adapted lift system (voice), Braille printer, readers of 12
scanners
3
architectural accessibility to library and classrooms
10
4
web access
8
5.
environmental
obstacles
from
their
home
to
university 6
(transportation),
6.
circulation inside the university campus
6
4
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The customized assistive technology is the shortage appearing mostly in infrastructure
matters and its existence and use serves the need for adapted lecture, which also appears
in larger frequency.
Tab.2.
Academic needs of VI students
1.
lectures adaptation to the needs of students ie, avoid images, graphs 19
and mathematical symbols, enlargement notice-print, images
description…
2
availability of academic manuscripts in e-format (copyrights)
16
3
tutoring
16
4
practice tailored to the difficulties caused by the disability
12
5
collaboration between students with visual problems and general 12
academic offices for the early planning of reception services,
6
respect for diversity, awareness and training of academic staff and 11
sighted peers (fellow students) in matters dealing with disability
7
adapted conditions (time, duration), process (oral/written) and 11
alternative assessment (task)
8
early delivery of material for transcription and study using voice 10
reader
9
collaboration between VI students and academic staff
7
10
participation in the European mobility programs ΕRASMUS
6
11
satisfactory relationship between students and administrative staff
5
12
satisfactory relationship between students and non disabled peers
4
13
lecture recording
4
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courses focused more on the study subject
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Discussion- proposals
With the admission of blind and partially sighted students in higher education,
automatically along with the right to participate in studies they acquire the right to
participate in the social university life.
Our research showed that Greek universities are not ready to deal with and
provide quality education to VI students. Only in two Greek universities there are
offices -reception desks- for disabled students support and counseling, but the quality of
services have not been sufficiently investigated.
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College students with disabilities should contact the disabled student services
office on campus before they start classes.
Staff there, will typically check
documentation of the disabilities, determine appropriate accommodations, and give the
students letters authorizing the use of those accommodations.
For the creation and design of an educational environment suitable for people who
are vision impaired it is necessary to create a friendly academic environment providing
architectural adjustments, adapted assistive technology facilities, information and
training staff programs. More specifically:

Create a continuous accessible networks (in the city and university campus) with
streets, side walks, ramps, transports, audio labeling, information, trained and
informed staff, that will act as chain links.

Free Walking Zone inside and outside of university campus. The Walking Zone
should include the 0,30-0,40cm width Blind Walking Guide with special texture
and colour contrast for guidance and safe movement of people with visual
impairments (Ministerial Decision of Environment, Land Planning and Public
Works Ministry (2001)4

Technical services for physical barriers removal and technological infrastructure
maintenance.

Due to lack of environmental design and special signs for persons with visual
problems in the campus, escort provision (volunteer or university staff) is
required for the familiarization with university campus and education-training
for the use of Assistive Technology.

Assistive Technology such as: Adapted lifts, hap tic and vocal feedback, Braille
signs, Braille transformer, Braille printer, screen reader, screen enlargers,
Special Bookshops for blind students.
In academic services area:

Adapted teaching methods and material

Readers and note takers to assist them in class

Printed materials produced in Braille, or recorded on audio tape or in a e-format

Tutoring
4
Environment, Land Planning and Public Works Ministry 52488/16.11.2001 «Special arrangements for
disabled people facilitation in communal residential areas addressed for pedestrians circulation»
(Governmental Gazette, FEΚ Β΄/18/15.01.2002). www.gspa.gr. )
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
Alternative examination accommodations (extension of time and way of
examination/evaluation)

ensure that VI students can participate/access to European Education Program
“ERASMUS”
Conclusions
Designing an inclusive academic learning environment providing environmental
and academic adjustments is the first step for an effective and functioning classroom
which will benefit vision impairment, their sighted peers and academic staff.
An environment with supportive services and academic facilities will serve the
needs of all students, will create conditions for VI and disabled students’ substantial
equalization with the other non disabled students and will upgrade the academic degrees
in the labor market from par into par and equivalent.
Greek visual impaired students consider that priority should be given to meet
academic requirements. Improvement of the knowledge and skills of disabled (VI)
graduates will allow them to claim a larger share of the labor market and to adapt
themselves as a social subset in accordance with Lisbon Treaty objectives.
.
-------------Anastasia Gkouvatzi
anasgouv@otenet.gr
anastasia.n.gkouvatzi@gmail.com
References
Armstrong, Χ., & Murray, Ι. (2007). Remote and Local Delivery of Cisco Education
the Vision-Impaired, ITiCSE'07, Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom
Brophy, P., & Craven, J. (2007). Web accessibility. Library Trends, 55(4), 950–972.
Craven, J. and P. Brophy (2003). Non-visual access to the digital library: the use of
digital library interfaces by blind and visually impaired people. Library and
Information Commission report 145. Manchester: CERLIM.
Guenther, K. (2002). Section 508 and your web site. Online, 26(2), 71–75. Retrieved
November 6, 2008, from Library Literature & Information Science Full Text
database.
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Lazar, J., Dudley-Sponaugle, A., & Greenidge, K. (2004). Improving web accessibility:
a study of webmaster perceptions. Computers in Human Behavior, 20, 269-288.
Mates, B.T. (2000). Adaptive technology for the internet, making electronic resources
accessible to all. Chicago: American Library Association.
Schneider, K. (2001). Students Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired in Postsecondary
Education, George Washington University, HEALTH Resource Center,
http://www.heath-resource-center.org/Resourcepapers/BVI.htm .
Srivilailuck, S., Beale, P., Murray, I., & Kidd., B. (2005). Hidden design: An inquiry
into the design of inclusive building environments and digital interface design
for the vision impaired, International Congress Series 1282 (2005) 1071– 1074
Schiff, R.A. (2009). Information Literacy and Blind and Visually Impaired Student,
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