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Keywords

COVID-19, ecological perspective, higher education, students with visual disabilities

Abstract

This case study explores the experiences of Nepalese college students with visual disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, applying Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory as a theoretical framework. Through in-depth interviews with eight students with visual disabilities studying bachelor and master level at a public college, this research describes challenges and chances across five primary domains of the ecological perspective. The study showed the critical role of immediate support circles in academic and social contexts, the needed interactions between parents and educational institutions, observable gaps in institutional support and government policies, and the dual role of the pandemic as a challenge and a stimulus for self-efficacy. The study suggests the need for a comprehensive approach to supporting college students with visual disabilities, integrating effective support networks, fostering continuous stakeholder discourse, and enhancing interactive policy and pedagogical flexibility during pandemic and general situation.

Abstract - Translated

(यस केस 􀋐डीले COVID-19 महामारीको समयमा नेपालका कलेजमा अ􀈯यन गद􀅔 गरेका दृि􀊼गत असक्षमता िवद्याथ􀅎हरूको अनुभवहरूलाई हरुको अनुस􀉀ान गरेको छ। यो अ􀈯न ब्रोनफेनब्रे􀉄रको पा􀄯र􀄰􀋕ितक प्रणािल िसद्दा􀈶मा उिभएर ग􀄯रएको छ। एक सावर्जिनक कलेजमा 􀋘ातक र 􀋘ातको􀈅र तहमा अ􀈯यन गन􀅑 आठ दृि􀊼िवहीन िवद्याथ􀅎हरूसँग ग􀄯रएको गिहरो अ􀈶वार्तार्हरू माफर्त, यस अनुस􀉀ानले पा􀄯र􀄰􀋕ितक दृि􀊼कोणका पाँच प्रमुख पक्षहरू लाइ 􀈯ानमा राखी ित िबद्द्याथ􀅎हरुका चुनौतीहरू र अवसरहरूको गिहरो िव􀊶ेषण गरेको छ। अ􀈯यनले शैिक्षक र सामािजक स􀈽भर्मा निजकका सहयोगीहरूको मह􀈇पूणर् भूिमका, अिभभावक र शैिक्षक सं􀋕ाहरू बीच आव􀊴क अ􀈶रिक्रया, सं􀋕ागत सहयोग र सरकारी नीितहरूमा दे􀄰खएका कमीहरू, र आ􀈏िव􀊷ासका लािग महामारीको दोहोरो भूिमका, चुनौती र प्रेरणा दुबै लाई उजागर गरेको छ। यो अ􀈯यनले दृि􀊼गत असक्षमता भएका कलेजका िवद्याथ􀅎हरूलाई सहयोग गन􀅑, प्रभावकारी समथर्न स􀇣ालहरू एकीकृत गन􀅑, िनर􀈶र सरोकारवालाहरु संगको सािम􀉗तालाइ बढावा िदने, र अ􀈶रिक्रया􀈏क नीित र शैिक्षक लिचलोपन बढाउन 􀊩ापक दृि􀊼कोणको आव􀊴कतालाई सुझाव िदएको छ ।)

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