Affordances and constraints of assistive technology for students with visual impairment at a public university in the United Arab Emirates: a phenomenological study

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PURPOSE: Assistive technology (AT) is widely promoted as a means of supporting equitable participation in higher education; however, little is known about how students with visual impairment (SWVI) in Gulf higher education experience AT in everyday academic life. This study explored how SWVI at one public university in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) perceived the affordances and constraints of AT in academic activities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A qualitative interpretive phenomenological design was used. Ten Emirati SWVI enrolled in undergraduate or postgraduate programmes and regularly using AT for academic purposes were recruited through the university's disability support unit. In-depth- semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Four interrelated themes were identified in the study. AT functions as a catalyst for academic and social autonomy, enabling students to manage core tasks and participate more fully in university life. However, these affordances were often curtailed by inaccessible digital platforms, incompatible course materials, bureaucratic hurdles and limited technical support. Institutional and peer awareness acted as conditional enablers of AT use, while a pervasive lack of specialised and continuous training for both students and staff constrained the realisation of AT's potential for enhancing learning. CONCLUSION: In this single-institution study, AT's educational affordances of AT were situational and emerged from interactions among students, technologies and institutional systems. Improving digital accessibility, centralising AT support and providing structured AT training for students and staff may help advance the UAE's inclusive education goals and strengthen equitable participation in comparable higher-education settings.