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Purpose

Access to appropriate assistive technology is a challenge worldwide and especially in low GDP-per-capita countries. Nepal is one example of a country with several coinciding challenges: some claim having a high rate of blindness in the general population, a low-GDP-per capita and some studies claim it has a low literacy rate, especially in rural areas. Without appropriate assistive technology, some disabled youth may not get full access to education.

Methods

To gain insight into assistive technology use in rural Nepal, five blind teenagers in a mixed secondary school with disabled and non-disabled students in rural Nepal were interviewed about their daily smartphone use.

Results

The results show that all the participants used screen readers on donated smartphones. None of the participants had received formal training in using smartphone screen readers and therefore lacked knowledge about basic and essential operational aspects of the devices as well as misguided expectations about the technology.

Conclusions

One implication of the findings is that smartphone accessibility features training material needs to be made easily available to schools and all disabled youth worldwide, as smartphones are increasingly becoming available in low-income remote regions with low literacy rates. The built-in accessibility features of smartphones promise disabled youth a non-stigmatizing platform for social participation and access to the information society.

Purpose: This paper sought to document the responsiveness of the University of Botswana towards the academic needs of students with visual impairments. The study examined the academic experiences of students with visual impairments enrolled at the University and explored their information-seeking needs. The study was informed by the theory of social justice.

Method: This was a qualitative study. Data was collected from students with visual impairments and academic staff from different faculties at the University of Botswana, through document analysis, interviews and observation techniques.

Results: The findings revealed that students with visual impairments experience extra challenges compared to students without disabilities. This is mainly because they do not get full support to enable them to excel academically. Furthermore, lecturers use teaching methodologies that do not accommodate these students, and learning materials are not adapted to formats suitable for them. Access to information is another major concern that hinders the participation of students with visual impairments in tertiary institutions.

Conclusion: The study recommends that lecturers need to be trained on suitable methods to teach students with visual impairments and how best to deliver academic content to them.

Disability, CBR and Inclusive Development, Vol 30, No 1 (2019)

The purpose of this toolkit is to share a selection of tools and recommendations pertaining to the accessibility of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Based on international standards and a scan of available technologies, these tools and recommendations are intended to contribute to the social and economic inclusion of persons with disabilities by ensuring that information is equitably accessible.

The goals of this toolkit are:

• To outline the key international frameworks around digital accessibility and why it is critical for inclusion of persons with disabilities.
• To link people with tools, practice examples, free online training, and other resources so that their practice is digitally accessible.
• To ensure that digital accessibility is an inherent aspect of daily practice.
• To align the practices of those working with and for CBM. 

This toolkit is intended to be used as a guide and practice resource by people working with and for CBM so that we produce accessible digital content and communications, and place accessibility at the centre of our ICT procurement processes. We hope that the toolkit will be a resource for the wider community of persons with disabilities, Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs), and nongovernmental organisations (NGOs).

The purpose of this booklet is to promote discussion and innovation for strengthening environmental sustainability and inclusion in health and other development activities. The case studies and checklists are designed to foster creative thinking and the ongoing gathering of evidence related to these topics. The booklet will be useful to anyone seeking high quality outcomes from health and other development programs. The information was first compiled for CBM’s engagement in the General Assembly of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness 2016, however will be useful for advancing sustainable development with inclusion in any context.

The case sutdies are: Environmental Sustainability in Eye Health, Caritas Takeo Eye Hospital (CTEH), Cambodia; and  Strengthening Accessibility and Inclusion in Eye Health. UMC Kissy Eye Hospital, Freetown, Sierra Leone, West Africa

This guide provides strategies and recommendations for developing inclusive classrooms and schools. We specifically address the needs of Sub-Saharan African countries, which lack the resources for implementing inclusive education. However, our strategies and recommendations can be equally useful in other contexts where inclusive education practices have not yet been adopted. Strategies for enhancing existing school and classroom environment and instruction include: modify the physical environment; modify classroom managment strategies; ensure social inclusion; adopt best instructional practices; apply strategies for students with sensory disabilities; and use assistive technologies. Strategies for adopting response to intervention include: tier by tier implementation; individualised education plans; and planning for school wide adoption of inclusive practices and a multilevel system of support.

The identification and implementation of best practices by nurse educators in the USA to support the success of student nurses with disabilities are discussed. Requirements of The Americans With Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008 and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) revisions to regulations implementing the nondiscrimination and affirmative action regulations of section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, effective March 24, 2014 are described. Best practices for educating students with disabilities in nursing education are discussed. The Increased understanding of disability will promote greater diversity and inclusivity within the nursing profession, which will enhance patient care. Three case studies are provided: a student nurse with hearing difficulties having issues with "a code blue"; a student nurse wheelchair user; and student nurse with low vision requiring IT assistance 

Nurse Educator, Jan-Feb 2016, Vol. 41(1), pp.9-12. doi: 10.1097/NNE.0000000000000212

This systematic review analyses the methodology, collection, and results of fourteen individual studies that examined the effectiveness of fifteen different intervention methods to assist students with disabilities in low and middle income countries to improve the labour market situation

Campbell Systematic Reviews 2015:20

‘This Mid Term Review (MTR) report contains information on the first six months (July – March) of the disability disaggregation pilot project taking place in Bhopal, India. The report includes information on the processes in place at the different locations to collect data disaggregated by disability and initial results. It also captures attitude, knowledge and experiences of programme managers, decision makers and data collectors around disability, their challenges, and the experiences of Sightsavers’ implementing staff’

Purpose: Emotional Intelligence is a set of abilities which enables people to understand emotions more accurately and solve problems in their emotional lives. The present study attempted to identify variables influencing emotionalintelligence (EI) of visually impaired students studying in higher educational institutions.

Method: A survey method of descriptive research design was adopted. 60 visually impaired students pursuing higher education were selected through purposive sampling. Their emotional intelligence (EI) was measured using ‘Mangal Emotional Intelligence Inventory’ (MEII). The collected data was analysed using differential and descriptive statistics to identify the influence of selected demographic variables on EI.

Results: The study results revealed that demographic variables did not have significant impact on the EI of students with visual impairment studying in higher educational institutions, except at the onset of visual impairment. Those who had lost their vision later in life seemed to have more EI than those who were congenitally blind.

Conclusion: Suitable training programmes should be planned to promote the emotional intelligence of those who are visually impaired since birth, because most behaviour is learnt through visual clues.