Analysis of physical environment, facilities and risk factors impacting students with disabilities in selected higher education institutions post the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the physical environment, facilities, and risk factors impacting students with disabilities in six selected higher education institutions post the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia. The research utilized an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. The sample of this study was 193, including 181 students with disabilities, six university administrators, and six facilitators for students with disabilities from these universities. The data-gathering tools were questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and observation. The information obtained from the questionnaire was analyzed using percentages. The data collected from semi-structured interviews and observations were also analyzed in narrative form. Subsequently, the quantitative findings were interpreted in light of the qualitative data following the research design.The study results showed that students with disabilities encounter various physical barriers in their environment, including inconvenient buildings, inaccessible ramps, open drainages, a lack of elevators, poles on road curves, and holes in walkways, which pose risks, especially for visually impaired individuals and wheelchair users. The study also identified facilities issues, including inaccessible toilets, limited access to water supply, low health services, and sanitation problems, which negatively impacted attendance and academic success, particularly for female students in universities post-pandemic. Moreover, findings of the study revealed that existing dormitories, bathrooms, and dining halls were not inclusive to students with disabilities, particularly in third-generation universities. Therefore, the universities should implement inclusive infrastructure design principles and risk management strategies to accommodate students with disabilities and minimize risk factors that influence their social inclusion and learning experiences. Finally, the effects of inclusive WASH on the enrollment, attendance, and academic performance of students with disabilities require further investigation.