ICT4D-Teaching and Learning

A framework for the adoption and effective use of ICTs for visually impaired learners in higher education

The South African Constitution has embraced an inclusive education policy to ensure that no student is left behind in the education system. Special schools in South Africa cater for the educational needs of learners with disabilities. However, various researchers have observed that learners who are visually impaired are often excluded from participating in higher education institutions, especially in Engineering courses. Consequently, it is essential to identify the challenges that visually impaired learners in South Africa face when contemplating entry into higher education and more specifically, Engineering courses.

Unlike other courses such as Management and Education, Engineering courses are more practical-based. That is because Engineering courses are visual in nature, especially subjects such as Computer Science, IT and Electrical Engineering which might prove challenging to visually impaired learners. Therefore, such learners require the assistance of specialised Information and Communications Technology (ICT) tools and resources for studying Engineering courses. ICT has revolutionised the education sector by facilitating the teaching and learning process of visually impaired learners. This study developed a framework for the provision of visually impaired learners in Engineering education in SA using ICTs. This study also examined the ICT tools that could be adopted to better facilitate the entry of visually impaired learners into Engineering courses. This research identified six principal factors and twenty-one sub-factors that would assist the provision of VILs in Engineering education. Establishing such a framework could provide improved academic access for VILs in SA, thereby increasing their prospects of employment and empowerment. Accommodating VILs in the labour sector of SA will improve their quality of life, thereby contributing to the country’s economic prosperity.

Research outputs

Conference proceedings

Tom, S. L., Iyamu, T. (2022). Towards a design of e- Health systems to improving healthcare service delivery. International Conference on Information Resources Management. CONF-IRM 2022 Proceedings. 25. ISBN:78-0-473-65864-9. https://aisel.aisnet.org/confirm2022/25

 Tom, S. L., Mpekoa, N., & Swart, J. (2020). The Role of ICTs in the Provision of Engineering Education to Visually Impaired Learners in South Africa. In 2020 Conference on Information Communications Technology and Society (ICTAS) (pp. 42-47). IEEE. ISBN: 978-1-7281-3770-4.

 Tom, S. L., Mpekoa, N., & Swart, J. (2019). Challenges faced by Engineering Faculties in the provision of visually impaired learners in South African universities. Global Trends in Management, IT and Governance in an E-World (E-MIG 2019) International Conference (pp. 164-170). ISBN:978-0-620-81210-8.

 Tom, S. L., Mpekoa, N., & Swart, J. (2018). Factors that affect the provision of visually impaired learners in higher education. In 2018 Conference on Information Communications Technology and Society (ICTAS) (pp. 1-5). IEEE.

Journal articles

Tom, S. L., Mpekoa, N., & Swart, A.J. (2021). Disability and support for visually impaired students in South African engineering programmes. World Transactions on Engineering and Technology Education (WTE&TE), 19(9), 346-352.

Doctoral symposium

Tom, S., Mpekoa, N. and Swart, J. (2017). A framework for the provision for visually impaired learners in Engineering education using ICTs in South Africa. South African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists (SAICSIT 2017), ISBN: 978-1-4503-5250-5/17/09, Thaba’Nchu, 25 September 2017, pp. 385.