Blind and Visually Impaired Students in Higher Education of Bangladesh: Barriers and Facilitators

Blind/Visually Impaired (VI) youth of Bangladesh face a significant level of segregation and oppression compared to all people with disabilities living in the country. They are excluded from mainstream education and also face severe inaccessibility in terms of infrastructure and resources. This study aimed to identify the current barriers and facilitators to the participation of blind/VI students in higher education in Bangladesh. A Qualitative method was used for this study where semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 16 respondents consisting of higher education students and stakeholders that were disability advocates. Six major themes were identified including issues of equity and equality, structural problems within the system, policies and advocacy movements, social views towards persons with disabilities, mental health and well-being, and issues related to accessibility in education. Prevalence of inequality in educational institutions, structural problems within the system, the gap between policy and practice regarding disability rights, negative social views towards persons with visual disabilities, lack of mental health facilities in the institutions, and inaccessible learning environment in terms of resources and infrastructure are the key barriers to the higher education of VI students in Bangladesh. Social awareness, specific policies for VI students, along with the proper implementation of the current policies, and a specific focus on accessibility issues are required to create a better and accessible learning environment for students with Visual Impairment in Bangladesh.