Visually Impaired Adult Learners’ Experiences of their Upper Primary Education Programme in Omusati Region (Published)
This study investigated the experiences of the adult visually impaired learners of Adult Upper Primary Education programme in the Omusati Region. This research emanated from the assumption that a study is needed to inform stakeholders on how the Adult Upper Primary Education programme may be implemented to provide inclusive and accessible quality education to the adult visually impaired learners (Directorate of Adult Education [DAE], 2009). Ten (10) adult visually impaired learners volunteered to participate in this study. A multi-stage sampling of purposive sampling and intrinsic case sampling was employed to select desired sample for this study. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and naturalistic observations. Using the interpretative phenomenological analysis method, data was grouped and categorized into themes to form meaningful patterns of the study findings. The study found the learning environment to be unconducive is several ways: (a) the programme lacked assistive devices and learning materials; (b) the relevant offices (i.e. district, regional and national offices) were not supportive enough of the literacy centers; and (c) the learners’ challenges outweighed the best practices, elsewhere. The study recommended to turn the presented challenges into opportunities for the program to provide quality education as envisaged in the Salamanca Statement and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (United Nation Educational Scientific & Cultural Organization [UNESCO], 1994). It also recommended future research on the assessment of the quality assurance of the programme as well as the quality of life for visually impaired people who graduate from the programme.
Citation: Waldheim A. Uusiku, Charles Chata and David Nkengbeza (2021) Visually Impaired Adult Learners’ Experiences of their Upper Primary Education Programme in Omusati Region, European Journal of Training and Development Studies, Vol.8 No.2, pp.11-34
Keywords: Omusati Region, adult visually impaired, learners’ experience, upper primary education