Factors Affecting Academic Performance of People with Visual Disabilities in the Tertiary Sector

Abstract

The role of education in enriching people’s lives is an undisputed fact. Most past studies have been conducted on the factors affecting academic performance focused on the sighted learners engaged in education in the academic systems. Given that the persons with disabilities are guarded/protected comparatively better in the Western word than in the developing nations, achieving academic goals for visually handicapped persons could be further challenging. This research is aimed at exploring the critical factors influencing academic performance of visually handicapped persons in Universities of Sri Lanka, a developing nation. Adopting a qualitative approach, eleven persons were purposely selected to represent varying levels of academic achievements in universities as case study subjects. The data collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews were analysed mainly through thematic analysis. Having a clear understanding of the key elements influencing academic performance of persons who are visually handicapped could make a significant difference to this community and is an eye opener for the policy makers in the tertiary education sector.