Technology-assisted blended instruction of intensive English for visually impaired university students in Saudi Arabia: An experimental study at King Khalid University

Although there is a large amount of literature found on the subject of teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) and English as a Foreign Language (EFL), there is still a lack of studies in teaching English to visually impaired students at university level in Arab countries, specifically Saudi Arabia. This paper is an experimental study of teaching intensive English language courses to visually impaired students at the English Language Center at King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia. The objective of this study is to propose a technology-assisted blended model for these students and to validate the effectiveness of the model to surmount the barriers visually impaired students face in learning the English language skills. The study is qualitative in nature and is based on an intrinsic case study of three students using a pre-experimental and post-experimental design. The study finds that teaching an Intensive English course through a model including an alternative digital course on BlackBoard Learning Management System and NVDA (Non-Visual Desktop Access) and Braille Computer Keyboard has efficiently impacted English learning in an apprenticeship with vision impairment. The importance of this research is that it proposes a strategy that will be beneficial for learners with VI and their teachers. To summarize, assistive technology and Blackboard accessibility features should recognize and support the capabilities of visually impaired students to have unique ways of learning foreign languages. The study aims to contribute to the expanding literature on the role of language teaching strategies in special education and to provide implications for inclusive and equitable learning settings.