Challenges faced by undergraduate students with disabilities in Makerere University during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand the challenges faced by undergraduate students with disabilities in Makerere University during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was guided by four objectives namely; to identify key challenges faced by students with disabilities in meeting their learning needs, to explore the challenges faced by students with disabilities in hostels/halls of residence; to find out the challenges faced by students with disabilities in their social interaction with other students and to understand the coping mechanisms used by undergraduate students with disabilities amidst COVID-19 challenges. The study was purely qualitative in nature and employed a purposive sampling strategy to identify the respondents. The sample size of the study was relatively small with a total number of ten primary respondents and ten key informants. Data was collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed thematically. The findings of the study were presented in narrative form so as to enhance quicker and better understanding of the challenges faced by students with disabilities in Makerere University. The findings of the study highlighted a number of challenges faced by students with disabilities in Makerere University. These included among others; negative attitudes and stereotypes, lack of individualized programs, difficulty making friends as well as lack of disability specialists. These were thoroughly discussed in detail by the researcher. The study recommends that government and other stakeholders with a mandate to provide adequate resources should provide the necessary facilities so as to ease the challenges faced by students with disabilities.