INFLUENCE OF COVID-19 ON LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED STUDENTS IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN RIVERS STATE

Abstract

 COVID-19 brought in its wake, various impacts on human lives across various domains including education. This cross-sectional survey investigates the influence of COVID-19 on learning opportunities for visually impaired students in Nigerian universities. It explores the provided learning opportunities and the coping strategies adopted by the students during the pandemic. Participants were 40 visually impaired students from the University of Port Harcourt and Ignatius Ajuru University of Education. Data collection occurred through a structured questionnaire. Findings indicated that COVID-19 significantly impacted the learning opportunities for visually impaired students (78.75% agreed); students had fair learning opportunities through online platforms with magnified interfaces and some level of support (64.38% agreed); and research subjects adopted various coping strategies like early morning studies and assistance from family/friends (56.25% agreed). The study concluded that while the pandemic negatively affected learning opportunities, alternative methods like online platforms provided some level of accessibility for visually impaired students. Recommendation for educational policy formulation and implementation was made among others.