The inclusion of students with impairment in higher education needs enabling legal frameworks to lay the foundation for equal opportunities for those learners in all aspects of university life (Shepherd, 2001:17). To this effect, in the past two decades several countries have revised their legal documents in order to promote inclusive education at all levels of schooling. Accordingly, in 2006 the Ethiopian government also developed a new legislative document, namely Special Needs Education Program Strategy, in order to apply inclusive education in regular schools and in higher education institutions. Following the introduction of this policy document, all regular schools and higher education institutions in Ethiopia have been required to implement inclusive education as a mandatory approach when educating students with impairment, including those who are visually impaired. However, the actual implementation of an inclusive approach is being challenged by the social, political and physical circumstances of higher education institutions. Therefore, this study aimed at examining the existing challenges and prospects towards the inclusion of students with Visual Impairment (VI) in the particular context of Addis Ababa University (AAU). The study adopted an interpretive paradigm for better understanding and in-depth interpretation of the inclusion of students with VI at AAU. An interpretive paradigm also informs the detailed judgements made by experts of a suggested action plan for progressively providing support for students with VI at AAU. The study also applied the critical disability paradigm as a complementary philosophical base in order to examine critically the challenges that students with VI face and to suggest ways to transform the inclusive policies and practices of AAU in favour of the students. The researcher undertook a Delphi investigation to address the main aim of this research (i.e. to determine how best to implement an action plan that progressively increases support for students with VI at AAU over a period of time). The action plan that comprises various support measures and the necessary resources was developed using the empirical results of this study as well as the existing findings and best practices found in the literature study. It was scrutinized and approved by a number of experts. The researcher recommends that the plan should be implemented over the next five years at AAU in order to improve the support provided to students with VI. / Inclusive Education / D. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

The aim of this study was to investigate the inclusion of visually-impaired learners in Ethiopian secondary schools. To conduct the study a mixed methods research multiple case study research design was used. The study was conducted in two secondary schools of the capital city of Tigray Regional State of Ethiopia. In the selection of the schools and research participants, a purposive sampling method was employed. The data were collected from 2 school principals, 35 teachers and 24 learners of grade 9 and 10. To collect the data, interviews (for principals and teachers), focus group discussions (for learners), observation, and questionnaires (for teachers), were used. The primary data for this research were the data gathered from interviews, focus group discussion and observation whereas the data gathered from the questionnaire were used to compare, triangulate and supplement. Data by the instruments were analysed under different themes using a constructivist/interpretive approach. The findings of the study revealed that the nature of school inclusivity regarding visually-impaired learners in Tigray Secondary Schools of Ethiopia is poor and visually-impaired learners are excluded. As a result, the exclusive nature of the schools is affecting the implementation and actualisation of inclusive education. Based on the findings, the study calls schools, communities, governmental and non-governmental organisations to take action for the implementation and realisation of inclusive education and the inclusion of all learners, such as visually-impaired learners. / Inclusive Education / D. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

According to Hatlen (2004), most learners with disabilities in an inclusive educational setting are socially isolated. This statement contributed to the research question of this study, how do learners with visual impairment experience the social aspects of their inclusion in a Namibian mainstream secondary school? The aim of this study was to design a case study to analyse and describe data collected from learners with visual impairment and other participants to determine how they are socially included in a mainstream setting. A qualitative research methodology was used, which included purposive sampling to select participants. The researcher functioned in an interpretive/constructivist paradigm. It was found that the learners with disabilities and the able-bodied learners do not truly mix, however, the learners with disabilities are content in the mainstream school and they prefer it. / Om aan 'n groep te behoort en sosiaal ingesluit te voel is 'n basiese menslike behoefte - dit is net so belangrik soos die basiese behoeftes van kos en veiligheid. Sosiale inklusie kan as een van die kritiese elemente beskou word wat onderskei tussen mense wat ongesteld is en mense wat gesond is. Betekenisvolle verhoudings dra by tot self-aktualisering. Lae sosiale inklusie beteken vir leerders eensaamheid en swak aanvaarding deur portuurgroepe. Sosiale inklusie is van groot belang vir kinders se ontwikkeling. Navorsing het bevind dat inklusiewe hoofstroomskole die effektiefste manier is om diskriminasie te beveg en sosiale insluiting te bevorder. Hatlen (2004) is van mening dat die groter meerderheid van leerders met gestremdhede in 'n hoofstroomskool sosiaal gei soleerd is. Die doel van hierdie kwalitatiewe studie was om leerders met gestremdhede se persepsie van hulle eie sosiale aanvaarding binne 'n inklusiewe hoofstroom sekondere skool te ondersoek. Die navorser het binne 'n interpretatiewe/konstruktivistiese paradigma gewerk. 'n Kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetodologie is gevolg en het die volgende ingesluit: doelbewuste seleksie om te bepaal wie die deelnemers sou wees; onderhoude, observasie, dokumente en refleksies om data te genereer; en inhoudsanalise om die data te analiseer. Navorsingsbevindinge dui aan dat leerders met gestremdhede vir jare afgesonder was van die res van die samelewing deur hierdie leerders in spesiale skole te plaas. Dit het veroorsaak dat mense vervreemd van mekaar is en het 'n skeiding tussen 'ons' en 'hulle' veroorsaak. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie beklemtoon die belangrikheid van bewusmaking tussen leerders met gestremdhede en leerders sonder gestremdhede. Daar kom wel afknouery voor op die skoolgronde en ware vriendskappe tussen leerders met gestremdhede en leerders sonder gestremdhede vind nie in die ware sin van die woord plaas nie. Hierdie leerders is egter tevrede en verkies steeds om in 'n hoofstroomskool te wees. Inklusiewe onderwys is nog 'n nuwe konsep en in die ontwikkelingsfase in Namibie, terwyl die leerders nog onbekend is met inklusie, asook met mekaar. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (with specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

The topic of this thesis is the situation of families with children having severe visual or multiple disabilities, examined from the father's standpoint. The aim of this thesis is to map out (explore) the lives of fathers whose children have severe visual impairments or multiple disabilities from their subjective point of view. The focus will be on the process of accepting disabled children, the fathers' experiences, their behavior and expectations in relation to the children, their spouse / partner and other family members. In addition, the focus will be on their view of the relationship between the larger society and individuals with disabilities, including organizations dealing with this issue. For the purposes of qualitative research "What it is like to be a father whose child has a severe visual impairment," a method of semi-structured interviews for data collection will be used. The Grounded Theory method will be used to analyze the data obtained from the research. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

Title: The impact of the exclusion of the visual analyzer on the swimmer's ability to swim straight while doing the crawl Goals: The goal of this work is to determine the impact of the exclusion of the visual analyzer on one's ability to swim straight while doing the crawl; to find and analyze the angle of the deviation from the set central line, if any, using measurable variables; to find the critical spots in the fulfillment of a set movement assignment where the swimmer deviated from his straight swimming direction, to make a qualitative analysis of these spots in relation to the individually optimal technique, and to propose potential corrections of the time and space of movements of the upper limbs work and the body. Methods: A qualitative analysis with a manual measurement of the deviation from the straight direction of swimming per constant distance. Analysis of a video- recording to find the critical points in the crawl technique. Questionnaire to deal with participants' upper limbs laterality. Results: We managed to determine some causes of the deviation from the straight swimming direction without visual control. The achieved results proved that breathing was an important aspect when doing the crawl having influence on the ability to swim straight: The impact of laterality on the...

The diploma thesis deals with development and education in families with a child with dual sensory impairment, namely, from mother's point of view. The objective is to analyse stories of selected mothers of children with this particular disability, to explore the course of development and education involving deafblind children from different points of view (pedagogical, psychological etc.). The author of this thesis tries to find out about mothers' experiences and models of behaviour during pregnancy and afterwards. It focuses on acceptance of the disabled child within (and possibly outside) the family. In addition, the thesis explores reactions of mothers and others to a child with disability, it outlines the subsequent course of development and education in various periods of life. The particular emphasis is put on specific ways, by which these mothers developed their children during different activites (plays, conpensatory senses development, communication system development, independence of deafblind children etc.). It also describes developmental delays (emotional, social and cognitive functioning). Education options for deafblind are also mentioned. The stories are then compared to each other, as well as to selected literature from different countries. At the end of this thesis, practical...

Though an increasingly more common occurrence, digital mobile applications are not typically particularly accessible for people with visual impairment. This study investigates the difficulties and consequences faced by developers and visually impaired users when implementing and using accessibility features as well as highlighting the principal considerations when doing so. The thesis employs the two complementary theoretical frameworks Universal Design Theory (UDT) and Critical Disability Theory (CDT) to both capture the functional and social dimensions of accessibility within digital mobile applications. The thesis highlights a knowledge gap among developers and companies, which over time can lead to an accruement of accessibility tech debt and poor design choices. The significance of education and prioritization cannot be overstated, no matter the managerial level. When developing inclusive mobile applications that cater to a wide range of users, it is essential to reframe accessibility features as an investment rather than a cost. A deeper comprehension of the social structures that contribute to disabled people being excluded from the use of digital applications can be achieved in part by incorporating Critical Disability Theory into decision-making processes. This thesis illustrates how drawing inspiration from both UDT and CDT while prioritizing accessibility throughout whole companies can make it possible to create truly inclusive mobile applications.

Today, the internet connects 66.2% of the world’s population online. Accessibility to digital information is crucial for social inclusion and equal opportunities. In this respect, it is considered to be a fundamental human right. However, most websites contain accessibility errors, creating a significant barrier for users with impairments. Accessibility overlays have emerged as potential solutions to enhance web accessibility. They often appear on a website as a toolbar or widget and allow users to customise their browsing experience by offering various adjustments, such as changes to font size, colour contrast, and text-to-speech functionalities via a button click. Some accessibility overlays use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to identify and automatically correct accessibility errors in website code. However, despite their intended benefits and rapid market growth, accessibility overlays face significant criticism within the accessibility community due to concerns about their effectiveness and whether they meet the needs of the intended user group.  This thesis investigates the impact of accessibility overlays on the usability and user experience (UX) for individuals with permanent visual impairments, thereby addressing a gap in academic research. Given the rise in visual impairments due to population growth and ageing, this focus is relevant and timely. The conducted research involved an evaluation study that comprised two parts: a technical evaluation of accessibility overlays against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 standard, and a user study that assessed the usability and UX of 21 individuals with permanent visual impairments when interacting with websites that employ an accessibility overlay. Furthermore, interviews with two accessibility consultants and two accessibility overlay company representatives provided supplementary information to the discussion.  The research shows that accessibility overlays, in their current form, do not effectively improve the usability or UX for individuals with permanent visual impairments. Although there is a slight improvement when users are unaware of the overlay’s presence, overall, UX and usability are considered marginal at best and deteriorate upon recognition and interaction with an accessibility overlay. Furthermore, the research displays that accessibility overlays in their current form cannot meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards. The study also finds that users with permanent visual impairments are generally hesitant to engage with accessibility overlays and prefer to rely on their existing access technologies. However, they are willing to use accessibility overlays under improved conditions, which are discussed in the thesis. The empirical knowledge gained guides future technology, designs, policies, and research to create a more inclusive digital world. / Heutzutage sind 66,2% der Weltbevölkerung über das Internet miteinander verbunden. Der Zugang zu digitalen Informationen ist ein fundamentales Menschenrecht, das soziale Inklusion und Chancengleichheit fördert. Jedoch weisen die meisten Webseiten Barrierefreiheitsfehler auf, die für Nutzer*innen mit Beeinträchtigungen eine erhebliche Hürde darstellen. Als potenzielle Lösungen für verbesserte Zugänglichkeit sind sogenannte "Accessibility Overlays" entstanden. Sie werden oft als Symbolleiste oder Widget auf einer Webseite angezeigt und ermöglichen es Nutzer*innen, ihr Navigationserlebnis durch verschiedene Anpassungen, wie zum Beispiel Änderungen der Schriftgröße oder des Farbkontrastes, per Mausklick, anzupassen. Einige Overlays nutzen außerdem Künstliche Intelligenz (KI), um Barrierefreiheitsfehler im Webseiten-Code zu erkennen und automatisch zu korrigieren. Obwohl Accessibility Overlays Barrierefreiheit und Zugänglichkeit beabsichtigen, werden sie von Teilen der Barrierefreiheits-Community aufgrund von Bedenken hinsichtlich ihrer Effektivität und Zielsetzung stark kritisiert.  Diese Masterarbeit untersucht die Auswirkungen von Accessibility-Overlays auf die Benutzungsfreundlichkeit und Nutzungserfahrung von Menschen mit dauerhafter Sehbeeinträchtigung. Die Arbeit adressiert damit eine existierende Lücke in der akademischen Forschung. Da etwa 4,3% der Weltbevölkerung eine visuelle Beeinträchtigung haben und diese Zahl aufgrund von Bevölkerungswachstum und -alterung weiter ansteigt, ist dieser Schwerpunkt relevant und zeitgemäß. Die durchgeführte Forschung umfasst eine Evaluierungsstudie, die in zwei Teile gegliedert ist: eine technische Evaluierung von Accessibility-Overlays anhand der Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 und eine Nutzer*innen-Studie, die Benutzungsfreundlichkeit und Nutzungserfahrung von 21 Personen mit dauerhaften Sehbeeinträchtigungen bei der Interaktion mit Webseiten, die ein Accessibility Overlay integriert haben, bewertet. Zusätzlich liefern Interviews mit zwei Berater*innen für Barrierefreiheit und zwei Unternehmensvertretern von Accessibility Overlays einen ergänzenden Beitrag zur Diskussion.  Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Accessibility Overlays in ihrer derzeitigen Form die Benutzungsfreundlichkeit und Nutzungserfahrung für Personen mit dauerhaften Sehbeeinträchtigungen nicht signifikant verbessern. Obwohl eine leichte Verbesserung eintritt, wenn Benutzer*innen sich der Existenz eines Overlays nicht bewusst sind, wird die Nutzungserfahrung und Benutzungsfreundlichkeit insgesamt bestenfalls als marginal angesehen und verschlechtert sich, sobald ein Overlay erkannt und damit interagiert wird. Darüber hinaus zeigt die Forschung, dass Accessibility Overlays die WCAG 2.1 AA-Standards aktuell nicht erfüllen können. Die Studie kommt auch zu dem Ergebnis, dass Nutzer*innen generell zögern, sich auf Accessibility Overlays einzulassen und es vorziehen, sich auf ihre vorhandenen Zugangstechnologien zu verlassen. Allerdings sind die Nutzer*innen bereit, eine potenziell verbesserte Version von Accessibility Overlays zu nutzen, wie sie in dieser Masterarbeit abschließend diskutiert wird. Das gewonnene empirische Wissen dient als Orientierungshilfe für zukünftige Technologien, Designs, Richtlinien und Forschungsarbeiten, die darauf abzielen, eine inklusivere digitale Welt zu kreieren. / <p>This thesis was also submitted to the Master degree program MultiMediaTechnology at the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences, in fulfilment of the requirements for the double degree program with Halmstad University. </p>

This transformative mixed method case study investigated the influence of Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) as a physical activity on the psychosocial well-being of learners with the visual impairment of low vision in a school for the visually impaired in Gauteng. A study of existing literature indicated a series of psychological and social dynamics which shape a person with low vision’s self-esteem and subsequent psychosocial well-being. A DMT intervention programme was designed accordingly. Through a filtering process, six female, adolescent participants with possible self-esteem challenges were identified. These participants completed the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) prior to taking part in the eight 60 minute sessions of the DMT intervention programme. The RSES was completed again post-intervention. Results indicated an increase in the self-esteem levels of all six participants to various degrees. Qualitative measures, including observations schedules, process notes in a researcher’s diary and participant reflections in DMT Journey Journals supported quantitative findings. / Mokgwa o, o o tswakantseng was diphetogo wa dithuto o batlisitse thotloetso ya Motantsho/ Motsamao wa pholo jaaka ikatiso ya mmele mo go itekanelong/ boitekanelong jwa tlhaloganyo ya barutwana ba ba sa boneng sentle mo sekolong sa bana ba ba sa boneng mo kgaolong/ porofinsi ya Gauteng. Dipatlisiso tsa dikwalo tse di leng teng di supa tatelano ya tlhaloganyo le loago e e farologaneng e e bopang go tlhoka go itshepa ga motho yo a neng le pono e e bokowa le tlhaloganyo le botho jwa gagwe. Ka jalo lenaneo la tseregano la DMT le ile la diriwa. Ka mokgwa wa go tlhopha, makgarebe a baša a le marataro, a a nang le mathata a go tlhoka boitshepo a ile a tlhopiwa. Ba tsaya karolo ba ba ile ba tlatsa kgotsa ba konosetsa selekano sa boitshepo sa Rosenberg (RSES) pele ba tsaya karolo mo go lenaneong la dikarolo tse robedi tsa metsotso e le 60 ya tserenanyo ya DMT. Morago ga tsereganyo selekano se ile sa tladiwa gape. Dipholo di supile kgolo e e farologaneng ya boitshepo mo go batsayakarolo botlhe ba le barataro. Ditekanyetso tsa boleng, tse di akaretsang lenaneo la ditlhokomediso, dintlha tsa tiriso tsa letsatsi le letsatsi mmatlisisi le maikutlo a batsaakarolo di totobatsa dipholo tse.dintsi mo dikwalong tsa tsela ya DMT. / Die invloed van die fisiese aktiwiteit van Dans/Bewegingsterapie op die psigososiale welstand van leerders met lae visie in ‘n skool vir gesiggestremde leerders in Gauteng is deur hierdie transformatiewe gemengde metode gevallestudie ondersoek. ‘n Studie van bestaande literatuur het ‘n reeks sielkundige en sosiale faktore wat die persoon met lae visie se self-beeld en gevolglike psigososiale welstand vorm uitgelig en ‘n Dans/Bewegingsterapie intervensieprogram is daarvolgens ontwerp. Ses vroulike adolesente deelnemers met moontlike self-beeld uitdagings is deur middel van ‘n filtreringsproses geïdentifiseer. Hierdie deelnemers het die Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) voor en na hulle deelname aan 8 60 minute sessies van die Dans/Bewegingsterapie intervensieprogram voltooi. Resultate het onderskeidelik ‘n toename in selfbeeldvlakke van al ses deelnemers tot in verskillende mates aangedui. Kwalitatiewe maatstawwe soos die gebruik van obserwasieskedules, prosesnotas in ‘n navorserdagboek en deelnemers se refleksies in hulle persoonlike Dans/Bewegingsterapie joernale het die kwantitatiewe bevindinge ondersteun. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (School Guidance and Counselling)