ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR STUDENTS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL: AVAILABILITY AND DEMOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCES

Abstract

Use of Assistive technology (AT) is essential to guaranteeing fair educational access, especially at the secondary level when academic demands increase among students with visual Impairment (VI). The two key objectives of this study were 1) to find out the availability of assistive technology devices; 2) and demographic variations in the perceived impact of assistive technology on the students with visual impairment in the special schools of Punjab. Research design used was quantitative descriptive. A self-developed instrument was employed to gather data from 175 students of Grades 9 and 10 who were enrolled in 24 special education institutions, using census approach. Availability of assistive devices was evaluated using descriptive statistics, and demographic differences were investigated using independent sample t-tests. The findings indicate greater usage of high-tech devices (M = 13.62) compared to mid-tech (M = 7.01) and low-tech devices (M = 6.43). Gender and grade level did not show any statistically significant differences (p >.05). However, there was a significant difference (p <.05), with low-vision pupils reporting greater perceived benefits than blind students on the basis of type of visual impairment. It has been recommended to emphasize the necessity of deliberate policy initiatives and allocation of funds for the enhancement of assistive technology support based on the findings of the study.