Barriers At the Interface: Challenges Faced by Visually Challenged Students in Accessing ICT Services at Kenyan Public Universities and Implications for Inclusive Policy Reform

Despite decades of international normative pressure and domestic legislation, visually challenged students (VCS) in Kenyan public universities continue to encounter profound barriers in accessing ICT services essential to academic participation. This paper presents an in-depth analysis of the challenges experienced by VCS at Kenyatta University and Maseno University, drawing on multi-stakeholder primary research involving 54 VCS, 10 lecturers, 4 ICT experts, 4 student guides, and 2 senior university administrators. Through thematic analysis of interview data and systematic observation, the study identifies seven interconnected challenge domains: (1) inadequate assistive technology provisioning; (2) inaccessible digital content and learning management systems; (3) deficient ICT support staff competence; (4) restrictive physical access environments; (5) insufficient institutional financial commitment; (6) absence of tailored ICT curricula for VCS; and (7) the compounding social burden of dependency on sighted guides. The paper develops a barrier typology that distinguishes between structural, institutional, technical, and social barriers, and maps these against the frameworks of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), Kenya's Persons with Disabilities Act (2003), and the WCAG 2.1 accessibility guidelines. Policy recommendations are addressed to university management, the Commission for University Education, the Ministry of Education, and the Kenya Institute of Special Education.