Stakeholders in the ATEVIL project pose for a group project after the stakeholder’s workshop. PHOTOS/ BUSEIN SAMILU
Rose Mary Namugenyi, a visually impaired faced a hard life during her first year at Makerere University where she had been enrolled to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Education in 2019. She could rely on the mercy of her peers, especially during the times of getting notes.
"Getting notes was tough because they were in hard copies I could just get someone to read for me. Imagine in those times people would be busy or not in the mood to help. For example, whenever I would want to read at night my peers were asleep. This, affected me more," she says.
Namugenyi is not alone. Daniel Elaju, a former student of Bachelor of Arts in Education at Makerere University, faced similar tests.
"I faced a lot of challenges at school because of being visually impaired, reading on the chalkboard, accessing small fonts displayed by the teachers, it was a hard time, "he says.
Assistive technologies
The lives of Namugenyi, Elaju. And many other visually impaired students of Makerere and Kyambogo Universities changed in 2020 after the management introduced the assistive technologies.
Under the collaborative project, titled Unlocking the Potential for Enhanced Teaching and Learning of the Visually Impaired in Uganda's Public Universities: The Role of Assistive Technologies (Atevil project), the two universities started supporting students with visual impairments with technologies that can enable them to study without necessarily the help of an external person.
These among others installed different software such as Jobs Access to With Speech (JAWS) Screen Reader in computers which could enable the visually impaired students to use computers at ease.
Talk Back software in phones, Envision Al which can help them read scanned copies, Look Out software which does exactly such as Envision AI, and Cash Me which helps them identify the currency value.
JAWS is a screen reader programme for Microsoft Windows that allows blind and visually impaired users to read the screen either with a text-to-speech output or by a refreshable Braille display
"Using Envision AI, I could easily scan hard copies and read them, talk back helped me in effective communication, literally life eased for me and by the time I graduated in 2023, everything was clear and still it is good for me where I am working,"Namugenyi says.
-Through the training, I became a pioneer in using scanning technologies to transform hard copy notes into accessible formats." She expresses her commitment to advocacy, noting, "I aim to teach inclusivity to all students, not just those with disabilities."
Elaju who works at Equity Bank says, "Using JAWS Screen readers aided me a lot in doing many things like my research, reading course modules, and as well by the time I moved out of the lecture room, I was on the same pace with other students unlike before," adding, "Using a computer is now easier unlike before when we could not use them at ease due to the small fonts. Now I use my phone for navigation be- cause even coming here it was assistive technology. It was just a matter of me accessing the Google maps and getting the location through screen reader. When I arrived here, I asked my phone where I was using the Be My Eye App.
Paul Kakooza, a student at Makerere University, says the assistive devices are continuously easing their lives as students at the university.
"Through JAWS I am able to compete in education and for jobs. Like any other person, I have all the competent skills and gone are the days when visually impaired people faced challenges such as navigating the environment, reading currency, and others which have been eased by the use of assistive technologies, "Kakooza shares.
Tech impact beyond classroom
At a stakeholder's workshop held last week in Kampala to assess the five-year ap- plication of the Atevil project, they unanimously agreed that assistive technologies are key in helping the visually impaired learners close the learning gaps.
The Atevil project's impact extends beyond the classroom, serving as a catalyst for change in Uganda's higher education landscape as highlighted that, these students have their right to education and learn in different ways, reinforcing the notion that education should be accessible to all, irrespective of their abilities.
Through its innovative approach, the project has empowered educators, students, and institutions to work together towards creating a more inclusive and equitable learning environment.
The project implemented by Makerere and Kyambogo universities aims at strengthening the capacities of educators to support students with visual impairments, enabling them to learn independently in mainstream learning environments. Officials said that it has benefited more than 100 students since its inception in 2020.
Ms Leah Sikoyo, the Atevil project principal investigator, highlights a critical issue in the existing educational framework.
"When we plan our teaching, we keep saying do you see this?" This inherent bias towards sighted students results in significant barriers for those with visual impairments. The lack of awareness and training among educators has led to inadequate support mechanisms, leaving many students feeling isolated and overlooked, especially during crucial assessment periods, "Ms Sikoyo says.
She adds, "We were just fortunate that at that time, there was a call for research, it was very easy for us to write a project to justify why we needed this kind of training."
She attributes the rise of the number of students with visual impairments accessing university education to the awareness and sensitisation efforts by the Government of Uganda, the Ministry of Education and Sports, parents, the Uganda National Association of the Blind and other stakeholders.
Inclusive learning environment In response to these challenges, the Atevil project integrates assistive technologies to foster an inclusive learning environment.
"Technology enables flexibility. It provides possibilities to adapt the learning environment, so students can work not just with ease but also with independence, "Ms Sikoyo asserts.
This approach not only empowers students to access information independently but also shifts the educational paradigm towards a more equitable system.
Mr Dennis Tumwebaze, the executive director of the Uganda National Association of the Blind (UNAB) said assistive devices are helping a significant number of visually impaired students and other people to read documents.
"This creates privacy and guarantees their independence and they are of value to their lives in terms of innovation where they can learn more and understand what to do and also have a contribution in the lives of the others," Mr Tumwebaze adds.
Ms Dianah Nampijja from Makerere University College of Education and External Studies, emphasises the importance of awareness and inclusivity stating, "There is no greater disability in society than the inability to see a person as more."
"When we started this journey, it was a journey of not knowing things to do. But as we have walked through, we have tried to increase awareness about what is happening around inclusive issues," Ms Nampijja stresses. "We needed our students to be independent. We did not want to pity them, all they need is a possibility. The goal is to equip learners to thrive in competitive work environments."
Being more sensitive to visually impaired students
Dr Santamaria Asio, the head of the Department of Biological Sciences at Kyambogo University and a beneficiary of the MAK-RIF ATEVIL Project, highlights the significant impact of the initiative on her teaching approach and awareness of students with visual impairments.
Reflecting on her experience, she states, "Observation has helped us recognise students who may appear physically fine but require special attention."
Dr Asio emphasises the importance of providing extra time for coursework and exams, saying, "We started giving them extra time in assignments and tests."
She also advocated for kindness and empathy among staff and students, urging, "Let us put ourselves in their shoes because disabilities can happen to anyone at any time."
Globally, an estimated 15 percent of the population lives with some form of disability.
