ROLE OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESS OF THE STUDENTS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT: AN INSIGHT STUDY

Abstract

Technology is a tool to unlock the learning and expand the horizon of the students with the disabilities. It has great potential in providing access for all learners especially the ones suffering with vision loss and is a great tool to remove the previously insurmountable barriers faced by the visually impaired students. The study aimed at investigating the role of assistive technology in teaching-learning process of the students with visual impairment. The research design employed was mixed research design. A Survey and a semi-structured interview were conducted with a noticeable percent of the students and teachers comprising of 62 students and 28 teachers of various inclusive and special schools for the visually impaired students of Amritsar district. The method of purposive sampling had been employed by the investigator and the percentage analysis and thematic analysis techniques had been used to analyse the data collected using the self- developed tools prepared by the investigator. The study found out that assistive technology facilitated the learning and teaching of the visually impaired students, encouraged independent learning as well as has enormous contribution towards curriculum coverage and served a great role in the building up of certain personality traits amongst the students. It was also explored out that in spite of playing a great role in effective teaching and learning process yet there are various barriers on its way like lack of training and aids in various schools of the district which must be eliminated by the support of national and state government authorities who should recognize the benefits of assistive technology in supporting educational independence and individualized achievement of the students with visual impairment.