Readiness of individuals with visual impairments for participation in distance education

Abstract

Individuals with visual impairments (VI) may face difficulties fitting in a distance education (DE) program mainly because of accessibility issues and a pervading lack of readiness. The main question was which difficulties and, specifically, which specific aspects of participants’ readiness could jeopardize their attendance in a DE program. The aims of this study were to examine the readiness of individuals with VI for participation in DE and the possible relationships between participants’ readiness for participation and their personal characteristics. A 42-item questionnaire has been developed to examine readiness for participation through five sub-scales referring to motivation, skills, self-management, interaction, and access to technological means (including means of assistive technology). The findings revealed a slightly positive degree of readiness as far as participants’ motivation, perception of their skills, and self-management are concerned and an approximate neutral degree of readiness regarding the aspects of interaction and access to technological means in the context of a DE program. The greater the educational level and the frequency of computer usage, the more positive the readiness for participation.

Virtual Sign Language Interpretations in Open and Distance Education: a Probe Into ‘Enablers’ and ‘Constraints’

“…A finding of the current study supported the results obtained in the studies of Adigun (2019);De Meulder et al (2021); Koustriava (2022); Kumar et al (2018); Maphalala and Adigun (2021);McKibbin (2021); Panyukova and Sergeeva (2019); Qin et al (2014); Schwenke et al (2014), andSife et al (2007). According to Adigun (2019), Kumar et al (2018), Qin et al (2014) and Schwenke et al (2014), sign language interpreters are usually pressured by inadequacies of required facilities that enhance their job performances.…”

What Is Known about Assistive Technologies in Distance and Digital Education for Learners with Disabilities?

“…The texts were processed through content analysis and organized by categories according to the type of publication and type of study objects, which are presented in the results section. Empirical articles [30] PubMed [31] Eric [32] WOS [33] Scopus, WOS [34] PubMed, Scopus, WOS [35] Scopus [36] Scopus, WOS [37] IEEE, Scopus [38] Scopus Teacher centered [39] Eric [40] Scopus [41] Scopus Prototypes and design [42] IEEE [43] IEEE [44] PubMed, WOS [2] PubMed Systematic and policy reviews [26] Scopus, Eric [45] Scopus [46] Scopus [47] WOS [48] PubMed [49] IEEE…”

“…Finally, the study by [36] addresses the topic of adult education or adult training by exploring readiness of participants with visual impairment in distance education. The findings of the study allow correlation of the educational level and the frequency of computer use with better attitudes towards participation in distance education.…”

Impact of ICT on university students with visual impairment

“…Another area of study in recent years has been the use of ICT in distance higher education institutions in relation to the learning experiences of students with visual impairment (Koustriava, 2021; Mokiwa & Phasha, 2013). More recent studies have focused on learners with visual impairment and their situation during the COVID‐19 health crisis (Gombas & Csakvari, 2021).…”