Resilience in Higher Education: Analysing Academic Constraints and Coping Mechanisms among Visually Impaired Students in Sri Lankan Universities of Higher Learning

This study investigates the barriers visually impaired students face in higher education in Sri Lanka and their strategies for overcoming challenges. The research problem centres on inadequate support within academic environments, including insufficient teacher attention, inaccessible class notes, non-inclusive teaching methods, barrier-free infrastructure, and excessive time required for assignments, economic hardships, poor English proficiency, and insufficient assistive technology. This study employs an ontological perspective that helps understand multiple realities shared by individuals with visual impairments. This perspective recognizes that each student's experience is unique and subjective, majorly influenced by personal, social, and cultural contexts. Additionally, the study adopts an epistemological approach that emphasizes knowledge as co-created through interaction. This means that understanding and insights are developed collaboratively between the researcher and the participants, highlighting the importance of dialogue and engagement in the research process. Using a qualitative methodology, purposive sampling was employed to select 20 participants from universities known for educational accessibility, ensuring a gender-balanced and socially stratified sample. Data collection techniques included in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and field notes. Findings highlight the necessity for comprehensive educator training, individualized student interventions, accessible materials, improved understanding of disabilities, and enhanced infrastructure to further an inclusive learning environment. Additionally, the study reveals that self-directed visually impaired students exhibit improved coping mechanisms through clear educational objectives, peer networks, social skills, and support groups.