European Scientific Journal August 2015 edition vol.11, No.

22 ISSN: 1857 – 7881 (Print) e - ISSN 1857- 7431

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION

TECHNOLOGY AND STUDENTS WITH
DISABILITIES

Luan Bekteshi
Faculty of Economy, University of Elbasan “Aleksandër Xhuvani”

Abstract
The purpose of this research study was to identify the problems
encountered by persons with physical disabilities to attend full-time studies
at the University "Alexander Xhuvani" Elbasan.
In addition, it serves to highlight the obstacles in the university environment
and to provide adequate information for decision-makers at the university in
order for them to be able to recognize such barriers and to carefully consider
and plan the inclusion of individuals with physical disabilities in university.
Subject for this study were a group of 22 students with physical disabilities,
14 (fourteen) of whom were male and 8 (eight) were female.
All these students who were contacted directly have identified difficulties in
benefiting applications in the information system of the university, e-
learning, web-site navigability, and downloading various documents from
the system etc.
This paper also gives some suggestions about improvements that should be
made to the information system in the university, in order to be used
efficiently by persons with disabilities, academically as well as
administratively.

Keywords: Disabled student, information system, information and

communication technology, e-learning, education, university

BACKGROUND
Over the past decade, higher education in Albania is facing numerous
transformations that have made it possible at the same time by increasing the
number of people who want to attend the auditors of universities for their
formation.
Challenges imposed by global markets and competition have become
important factors to expand higher education in Albania. Universities have
become in this way a very important factor in the formation of qualified
human resources, the social and economic life as a whole.

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There is a special group of society that attends university which we

call them people with physical disabilities.
For many years, the legislation of many countries in the world as well
as in Albania has been paying attention to the education of these groups with
the aim of creating conditions in order for them to pursue their education
equally like all the other students.
The increased use of Information and Communication Technology
(hereinafter: ICT) in many sectors of society has made it possible to perform
processes which previously were not done by this category of individuals.
With the use of the ICT, people with physical disabilities that cannot
use their hands to communicate or write are now able to communicate by
using special software’s.
The ones that do not listen may use the "chat Programs" for
communication, and the ones that do not see (blind) are able to communicate
by using a technology called "text-to-speech".
The use of ICT simultaneously represents significant aid factor and a
potential factor of difficulties (barriers) for persons with disabilities,
certainly for those who attend college or/univerity and use their technology.
Even in the University of "Alexander Xhuvani" the use of ICT in
education and e-learning has influenced positively by assisting the people
with disabilities in order to enhance their ability and increase their
independence in the process of education.
However, just how effective is the use of ICT and information
systems at the university by creating optimal conditions for higher education
enrollment by people with physical disabilities?
How the use of ICT could promote equal opportunities for all
students?

LITERATURE REVIEW
Today's society lives in the era of the Internet and ICT. Developing
very fast pace of telecommunications and ICT in parallel with economic
globalization have made the transformation of social relations, culture and
education. Over the last decade, ICT has become an important factor in the
revolution of universities as from the administrative aspects as well as
academically which has affected the main activities in the university.
Apparently, the information system is a tool that serves for
distribution and better management of information for both the university’s
academics /administrative staff, as well as for students in the implementation
of administrative and academic processes.

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Therefore, ICT and the information systems have become

indispensable tools in the university.
According to Jagar and Lokman (1999) in a paper to the European
Conference on Education Research proposed these functions of ICT in
education:
• Learning about ICT so that students can use ICT in education, future
occupation and social life.
• Use ICT as an assisting tool e.g. making assignments, collecting data
and documentation, communicating and conducting research.
• Use ICT as a medium for teaching and learning, as a tool through
which teachers can teach and learners can learn.
• Use ICT to organize and manage universities.
Over the past decades the social, economic, and technological
changes are making education and training more crucial than ever.
Nevertheless, educational systems to different degrees worldwide are
struggling to afford educational opportunities for all, to provide their
graduates with the necessary knowledge and skills for evolving marketplaces
and living environments, and to prepare citizens for lifelong learning.
In this global challenge of education, the governments have strongly
prioritized education of individuals with physical disabilities. Even this
stratum of society has the right to education at all levels of the education
system.

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Regarding the general education, the CRPD (United Nations

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) (2006), states that,
among other requirements, Government Parties shall ensure that:
• people with disabilities are not excluded from the general education
system;
• people with disabilities receive the support required to facilitate their
effective education;
• people with disabilities learn life and social development skills to
facilitate their full and equal participation in education;
• the learning of Braille, alternative script, augmentative and
alternative modes, means and formats of communication and
orientation and mobility skills, and facilitating peer support and
mentoring.
The uses of ICT and information systems in universities have allowed
individuals with disabilities to do things that were difficult or impossible for
them to do in the past.
According Crawford (1997), Information Technology is a powerful
tool. It significantly extends what people can do and as a learning tool it is
particularly effective.
• IT is an interesting teacher….
• IT is also a patient and responsive teacher….
• IT gives access to on-line learning sources …..
• IT is everywhere …..
• IT promotes diversity …..
• IT promotes diversity ….
• IT is blind to gender, race, age and disability
Abrami et al. (2006), who recently showed how important e-learning
initiatives are in Canadian postsecondary education, noted that “we know
very little about the e-learning needs and concerns of students with
disabilities.
Additionally, Anderson (2006) underlines that, in the field of
education, “while.... technologies are beneficial and have shown to help with
educational tasks, their design and usability are an issue”.
According Cooper (2004), “Enabling” or “assistive” technologies are
one obvious area in which ICT can support students with physical or sensory
disabilities.
Even though, the ICT and information systems are considered
powerful tools to foster learning and the same time they disadvantage or
exclude groups including here the disabled students [....], disabled people
face serious problems in accessing computing devices”. Stephanidis &
Savidis (2001)

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ICT creates a number of problems in education such as: digital

equity, the need for a relatively expense addition to the school’s
infrastructure, and other issues that come up in order to provide appropriate
ICT education. ICT in education creates problems of how to deal with
potential changes in curriculum content, instructional processes, and
assessments in a manner that leads students in getting a better education.
Nevertheless, technological development can enable people with
disabilities to improve their quality of life. Technology can help to create a
better educational environment for all, for students and professors. In the
field of education, the massive use of new technologies has provided new
opportunities for the education of individuals with physical disabilities
affecting the growth of independence, integration and equal opportunities to
this group of society.

METHOD
Participants
Participants in this study were 22 students with physical disabilities
at the University of Elbasan "Alexander Xhuvani", of which 14 students
were men and 8 students were female. Students were users of the ICT and
information system and studied in various faculties within the university in
levels, bachelor and masters.
The University of “Aleksander Xhuvani” in Elbasan is one of the
most important educational and research institutions in Albania. This
institution has made successful efforts and been confirmed as one of the most
serious educational institutions in Albania by expanding infrastructure,
enhancing the quality of curriculum, teaching and researching process.
The University has a capacity of :
• 1204 students
• 256 academic staff
• 302 external academics
• 92 support staff
It is organized in three forms of study: full time, part time and
distance learning in the following levels:
• Bachelor
• Professional Master
• Master of Sciences
• Ph.D.
In the total of students who attend the university, 24 students are with
physical disabilities.
The table below shows that the largest number of students with
disabilities belongs to the group of persons who have difficulty in expressing

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fluently and then those with difficulties in the use of hands and who have
difficulties in hearing.
Disability Number of students Percentage
Difficulties in the use of hands or arms 5 22.7 %
Difficulty in hearing 5 22.7 %
Difficulties in communication (fluent 8 36.4 %
expression)
Difficulty in sight (visual uncertainties) 4 18.2 %

Procedures
This paper describes a qualitative study of the university’s
environment were ICT and information system is used, the benefits that
students with physical disabilities attain from using them and the obstacles
that they encounter.
Method of data collection in this study was done by interviewing
participants’ face-to face for 35 to 40 minutes with each. Depending on the
degree of disability of some students these interviews lasted less than 30
minutes and for others more than 45 minutes.
Student that participated to this research were addressed the
following questions:
• Age
• Hometown
• Residence
• The type of physical disability
• Profile of high school in which they studied
• Familiarization with the use of ICT
• Use of e-learning platform in the process of their education
• Use of actual application offered by information system for
administrative processes.
• Use of information system applications in the process of testing and
assessment of student knowledge.
• The functionality of the technology used by students with disabilities
to utilize the services of information system in the academic process
and at the administrative level.
• The most important benefits they receive from the use of information
system
• The main difficulties faced by students with disabilities from the use
of information system.
• Improvements and demanding solutions that these students had to be
taken into consideration by the university’s administration in order to
make it more useable for them.

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Results
The results obtained from processing the answers given by these
students for the realization of this work had no dependence on their gender.
Additionally they were not associated with any demographic factors such as
character birthplace, residence and high school profile from which they had
attended.
Familiarity with previous use of ICT was a factor which affected the
quality of the answers given by students in connection with the use of the e-
learning platform, the use of information system applications in
administrative processes, in the process of testing as well as with the
functionality of the technology implemented.
In the data collected from the interviews a number of necessary
requests were identified requiring a more efficient use of information system,
e-learning platform, and ICT.
Depending on the type of disability that students had, different
approaches to the use of information communication technology were
recognized. Thus, students with difficulties in the use of hands and arms had
more difficulties in the use of technology and information system, students
who have difficulties in communication, hearing and vision have a better
approach in the use of technology and system information but at the same
time also had their requests to improve the functionality of the system.
Repeatedly, the interviewees emphasized the fact that a major
problem for them was the available equipment’s which were not suitable
enough to help them to use fully the services provided by the university’s
information system. Students were often frustrated because they were not
able to download various materials from the system.
From the interviews with students with difficulties in the use of hands
was emphasized that they had more difficulties to use the technology
because it was unsuitable for them, since the physical configuration
information system was arranged by taking into consideration the
requirements of normal students. In these interviews was highlighted the
need to create suitable positions, from which this category of students will
realize access in the system.
And by interviewing students with visual disabilities it resulted that
these students had problems with equipment outflows, mainly with monitors
because their inability of seeing clearly and the small monitors which did not
allowed them full satisfaction of using the information system.
In spite of the accumulated results, to be appreciated was the fact that
all students with disabilities who were interviewed were well aware of the
benefits that can be obtained from the use of the ICT and the information
system on campus by means of the realization of administrative duties, as
well as in the process of learning and testing their knowledge. But on the

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other hand, students had different approaches in respect of benefits that may
apply to the use of ICT and information system implemented specifically in
the university.
The following table gives a complete structure of students’ approach
on the benefits that they really take from the information system in the
university.
Benefit Number of students Percentage
Assistive in the process of learning by students 10 45.5 %
Assistive in attendance of on-line courses by 6 27.3 %
students
Assistive in providing materials through the 8 36.4 %
Web by students
Assisting utilization of appropriate technology 5 22.7 %
by students
Assisting in the use of technology in the process 2 9.1 %
of testing of student knowledge.
Other benefits 9 40.9 %

Benefit
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1 Benefit
0

Even though the students interviewed were very clear about the
benefits that the use of ICT provides, the reality of its use in the university
had made them pessimistic on the use of ICT in the future.
On the other hand, all students stressed out the lack of curriculum,
teaching and testing methods for students with physical disabilities.

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RECOMMENDATIONS
From interviews conducted with students with physical disabilities, a
number of problems associated with the use of ICT and information system
were identified. A considerable part of the problems were related to the
operational side of ICT which cannot be fully used from these students. For
solving the problems demonstrated in this paper simultaneously some
recommendations are provided.
There is an immediate need to raise the awareness to students and
professors for the use of ICT in the process of education for students with
physical disabilities.
There is a need to develop curriculum and teaching methods for
students with physical disabilities.
At the same time, it is recommended to find solutions and develop
appropriate strategies for customizing the ICT and ensuring appropriate
technology for students with physical disabilities.
In order to make possible the elimination of this problematic it is
recommended to build special posts for students with disabilities equipped
with special software and hardware as follows:
• Big keyboards, multicolored keys, keyguard, non standart keyboards
including one handed are more available, on-screen keyboard, etc.
• Instead of a standart mouse, disabled student mus use a rollerball, a
tuuchpad or a joystick.
• Use of bigger screens, to help students with visual disability, touch
screens for students who cannot mange a mouse for physical
disability.
• Speech to text softwares which permits text to be input by speaking
into a headset.
• Many sofwares are available for speech feedback useful to students
or other users with disabilies.
Another problematic raised is related to the process of testing
students’ knowledge, for the ones with physical disabilities it is necessary to
provide appropriate testing formats in accordance with the type of disability
and to also have the right for extra-time during the testing process.
The use of mobile technology for learning by students with physical
disabilities is another opportunity to access the learning program inside and
outside their auditors.

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