Toward the Sustainability of a Healthy Citizenry: A Small-Sample, Qualitative, Exploratory Study of the Experiences of Male Students with Visual Impairment in Saudi Arabian Higher Education

Mohaned G. Abed, Lowai G. Abed and Todd K. Shackelford ()
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Mohaned G. Abed: Department of Special Education, Faculty of Education, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
Lowai G. Abed: Department of Communication and Media Technology, College of Social Sciences and Media, University of Jeddah, Jeddah 21493, Saudi Arabia
Todd K. Shackelford: Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, MI 48306, USA

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 19, 1-15

Abstract: Citizens of a sustainably healthy population have the right to an education, and this right must be extended to citizens with disabilities. Visual impairment presents challenges to such sustainability insofar as it can negatively impact the social and educational experiences of affected students. The present study explores the challenges that students with visual impairments face at higher education institutions in Saudi Arabia. The study examines the impacts of visual impairment on the social and academic domains of these students’ lives which thereby threaten the sustainability of a healthy and well-functioning society. Exploring strategies and support mechanisms, the study’s aim is to improve the Saudi educational environment in universities to better accommodate the needs of students with visual impairments. The study employs a qualitative methodology to investigate the experiences of eight male students with visual impairment enrolled in a Saudi Arabian university. The findings highlight challenges faced by these students and provide a foundation of recommendations for improving educational support and facilities so that students with visual impairment are more likely to succeed academically and to make meaningful contributions to the broader community. In consequence, such students are better positioned to contribute to the sustainability of a healthy and well-functioning Saudi society.

Keywords: sustainability of a healthy citizenry; higher education; visual impairment; challenges to national sustainability; university students’ experiences; support mechanisms; Saudi Arabia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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