Use of information and communication technology by visually-impaired students: A study in University of Calicut, Kerala

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of Information and communication technology (ICT) by the visually impaired students in Calicut University, Kerala. Semi-structured interviews were employed to collect data from a representative sample of 100 visually impaired students from the departments and affiliated colleges of the University. The study found that a large majority of the students are computer literates and use mobile phones frequently. A good number of them use screen readers in their mobile phones. However, the foreign accent of screen reading programs is a challenge for the students. The support of friends and family members is very helpful for the students to acquire the skills of ICT. Microsoft Office and Jaws screen reader supported by Windows operating system are the most popular software among the students. Use of internet by the students is very less and most widely used internet service is www followed by e-mail. It is found that a majority of the students need training in word processing and Internet. This study provides useful information about the use of ICT by visually impaired students in India. © 2014, DESIDOC.