| dc.description.abstract | This study explored the inclusion of students with hearing impairment in universities in Tanzania. The study was framed on four objectives, namely: to examine the support services available in universities for enhancing inclusion of students with hearing impairment; to analyze the adaptations made in the teaching and learning for students with hearing impairment to enhance their classroom participation; to determine the lecturers’ perceptions in teaching students with hearing impairment in inclusive educational settings and to find out the opinions of students with hearing impairment about their inclusion in the university environments. The study was guided by two theories, the social model of disability and the human right model of disability so as to understand the practice of inclusion of students with hearing impairment in universities. A qualitative research approach and case study research design were applied to obtain information through semi-structured interviews, observation and Focus Group Discussions. The target population was the students with hearing impairment, hearing students, lecturers, leader of Chama cha Viziwi Tanzania (CHAVITA), a member of Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU), disability support personnel and representative of students with disabilities. The data obtained was analyzed both thematically and descriptively to derive meaning from them as per the objectives of the study. The findings discovered that support services provided in universities included: assistive devices and sign language interpretations were inadequate to meet the learning needs of these students; teaching and learning strategies were hardly adapted to meet the learning needs of students with hearing impairment; lecturers perceived teaching these students as being a burden that demands for extra attention, modifications and time. The students with hearing impairment perceived the learning-environment in all the universities as unfriendly, stressing that since they were not (initially) identified to have special-needs, the learning environment was not designed to suit their learning needs. Generally, the findings revealed that the inclusion of students with hearing impairment in universities was still a challenge due to the stakeholders’ lack of awareness on matters related to students with hearing impairment. And lastly, the study makes a number of recommendations: Special needs and inclusive education component should be merged in teacher curriculum at all levels; both lecturers and hearing peers be adequately trained on sign language skills; universities should employ competent sign language interpreters; universities should make screening and identification of students with hearing impairment during registration. Also, universities should include in its structure a department of special needs education and establish resource rooms that should serve as a disability support center. | en_US |
