Inclusion and the Psychosocial Experiences of Students with Visual Impairments in a Zimbabwe State University

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Stanley

This article explores inclusion and the psychosocial experiences of students with visual impairments in a Zimbabwe state university. A qualitative case study design was used with six students purposively sampled for their university experiences. Semi-structured interviews generated data. Findings show positive experiences linked to support from friends and staff, curriculum assistance, convenient hostel accommodation, and effective traffic regulations, creating confidence and security.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages7

Reading Time18 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Rationale for inclusion in universities

Psychosocial effects of visual impairment

Human support, assistive devices, and inclusive practices

African Educational Research Journal Vol. 6(3), pp. 190-196, September 2018 DOI: 10. 30918/AERJ.63.18.072 ISSN: 2354-2160 Full Length Research Paper Inclusion and the psychosocial experiences of students with visual impairments in a Zimbabwe state university Ennie Manyumwa Midlands State University, Zimbabwe. Accepted 15 August, 2018 | ABSTRACT
This article explores inclusion and the psychosocial experiences of students with visual impairments in a Zimbabwe state university. The qualitative case study design was used and the participants comprised of six students with visual impairments. These were purposively sampled because of their experiences in the university. The semi-structured interview was the method used for data generation. Findings revealed that positive experiences of the students were a result of the support they got from friends and staff, the assistance they got with the curriculum, convenient hostel accommodation and effective traffic regulations. Such experiences made them feel confident and secure. The negative experiences were caused by the problematic registration process, limiting social environment, poor financial background and the students’perception of themselves. Resultant feelings were those of desperation, hopelessness, frustration and anxiety. They also felt different and not readily accepted. This necessitated educating the university community on inclusion and the need to respect diversity. There was also need for the students with visual
impairments to be assertive and actively influence attempts made by the university to effect their inclusion. Keywords: Inclusion, visual impairment, university, psychosocial, experiences. | | --- | | [E-mail: manyumwae@staff.msu.ac.zw](E-mail: manyumwae@staff.msu.ac.zw). | INTRODUCTION Inclusion has resulted in a growing number of students with disabilities having access to university education (United Nations Educational Scientific Organization, 1997) . Among these students are those with visual impairments who now have the chance of receiving tertiary education alongside their sighted peers. The overall goal of inclusion in these universities is to maximise the specific skills that the students possess, their self-esteem and the overall quality of life for the students. Blindness and low vision which are the two major groups of visual impairment however, are physical conditions that are associated with deep emotional implications (Omede and Tenimu, 2013) . This may be attributed to the fact that the students are in the low incidence group and in most cases are outnumbered by sighted students. The experiences of students with visual impairments in universities therefore, often depend on the treatment they get from the rest of the university community. It was the intention of this study to explore such experiences and their psychosocial effects on the students concerned. The psycho-social effects associated with visual impairment range from positive ones which normally occur when the students have favourable experiences, to negative ones which normally result in the event of them facing adverse conditions. Among the factors that provide positive experiences for students with visual impairment , is the support given by people who constitute the university community, with close friends, peers and lecturers or mentors being the most likely ones to offer such support. A study carried out by Scott (2009) established that most undergraduate students with visual impairments in American universities acknowledged the importance of peers who assisted them with academic work, particularly in situations where the instructor’s time was limited due to large class size. Relatedly, Sachs and Schreuer (2011) in their study of Israeli universities, established the importance of human support for students Manyumwa 191 with visual impairments, especially for navigation around the campus and when they required assistance with reading and writing assig

FAQs

What was the research design and how were participants selected?

The study used a qualitative case study design. Six students with visual impairments were purposively sampled based on their experiences in the university.

What factors led to positive psychosocial experiences?

Positive experiences resulted from support received from friends and staff, assistance with the curriculum, convenient hostel accommodation, and effective traffic regulations.

What negative experiences did students report and what did they indicate?

Negative experiences were linked to problematic registration, a limiting social environment, poor financial background, and students’ perceptions of themselves, producing feelings such as desperation, hopelessness, frustration, and anxiety.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Stanley