Unequal Access: Exploring the Learning Challenges of Visually Impaired Students in Contemporary Classrooms
Abstract
Despite progressive legal mandates such as the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act (2016), visually impaired students in India continue to face problems in accessing education, especially when it comes to finding trained scribes, affording assistive technology, and inclusive learning environments. These gaps significantly increase in rural areas and among low income groups in urban areas, where institutional preparedness continues to be a significant barrier to learning. Against this context, this paper investigates the extent to which visually impaired students can access academic support in India and explores the systemic and social barriers that hinder their educational journeys. The study is guided, primarily, by two research questions; first, how equitably can visually impaired students in India access support systems like scribes, assistive technologies, and inclusive teaching practices, and second, what are the systemic challenges that in practice prevent these mechanisms from being effective. A mixed-methods approach was used, including an online survey and semi structured interviews with a geographically diverse sample of 50 visually impaired students aged 15-33 years. The participants were from a range of socioeconomic and educational backgrounds, allowing for both quantitative and qualitative insights. The findings reveal difficulties in obtaining reliable scribes, underutilization of assistive technologies due to high costs and inconsistent institutional support, and uneven policy implementation. The study sheds light on the need for standardized scribe training, better digital access, and teacher training programs to close the equity gap.
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