A framework for supporting the accessibility of e-learning platforms for students with visual impairements in higher education institutes in Uganda: a case study of Kyambogo University

Abstract

E-learning is a rapidly growing trend in education, but it is not fully accessible to people with visual impairments, despite their increased enrolment in higher education. It has the potential of reaching of reaching out many students in an accessible way, including those with disabilities if it designed with the needs of learners with disabilities in mind; which is not the case for Ugandan Universities. This study set out to develop a framework for supporting the accessibility of e-learning platforms for This study was defined by the following main objective; To design a framework for supporting the accessibility of e-learning platforms for students with visual impairments in HEIs in Uganda and to achieve this the following specific objectives were formulated; To determine the requirements for a framework for supporting accessibility in e-learning platforms for students with visual impairment, to design a framework that supports the accessibility of e-learning platforms for students with visual impairment and to evaluate the designed framework for environmental utility using. This study adopted an abductive approach and used a design science research methodology to guide the research. Adobe Illustrator CC was used for to visualize the framework proposed by this study. The key findings were that necessary guidelines, best practices and assistive technologies to enhance the accessibility of e-learning platforms are available. However, the e-learning administrators responsible for implementing these learning systems possess insufficient expertise in this domain. The developed framework was evaluated in terms of its environmental utility and accessibility. The evaluation aimed to assess the framework's usefulness within the given context and its alignment with the established accessibility guidelines and company best practices pertinent to visually impaired learners. The scholarly contribution of this study was threefold: providing insights into addressing the issue of limited accessibility in e-learning, documenting a framework to support accessibility of e learning for students with visual impairments, and sharing the experiences from problem definition to artifact evaluation.