CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1 Introduction

Studying at the University of Buea presents a unique set of challenges, particularly for students with disabilities (SWD) who navigate an academic environment that may not always be fully accommodating. These students often face physical, social, and psychological barriers that can hinder their educational experience and academic success. While the university strives to promote inclusivity and accessibility, many students with disabilities encounter obstacles such as inadequate infrastructure, limited resources, and a lack of awareness among peers and faculty regarding their needs.

Furthermore, societal attitudes towards disabilities can exacerbate feelings of isolation and stress, making it essential to address these challenges comprehensively. By exploring the specific difficulties faced by these students and identifying effective strategies for support, we can foster a more inclusive academic environment at the University of Buea.

This research work is divided into five chapters. Chapter One, which is the introduction as seen above contains issues such as the background of the study, Problem statement, research questions, objectives of the study, the hypothesis of the study, significance of the Study and the definition of concepts. Chapter Two is a review of literature broken down into the theoretical and empirical literature.  In Chapter Three, the research methodology is presented. Chapter Four presents the result and the work will be drawn to a logical end in Chapter Five where the major summary and conclusions will be made. This chapter will also contain the policy recommendations of the study.

1.2 Background

Disability is regard as the situation in which a person’s ability to engage in activities is limited due to their interactions with the environment (Muhammad et al., 2025). Students with disabilities continue to face systematic disadvantages in comparison to their non-disabled peers. Hence, educational practitioners and policymakers must fully understand the intricacy of the encounters of impaired students (Brewer et al., 2023).

According to Fatny (2021), “there exit different types of disability including hearing disability, motor disability, intellectual disability, mental disability, visual disability, and psychological disability” (Fatny 2021: 101). To this, laws and legislation have been put to enable individuals with disabilities to obtain their right to education, as the number of these individuals in universities has increased worldwide (Melero, et al., 2018), and the Cameroon government via the creation of a ministry of social affairs has taken it upon itself to provide decent life opportunities for all its disable citizens. The country is interested, according to its capabilities, in providing equal opportunities for educating individuals with mental and physical disabilities through the development of various cultural training curricula that suit their conditions.

Students with disabilities face many challenges and these challenges are defined as the difficulties and obstacles that they face in universities during their studies and affect their educational performance (Ambia, 2020). These challenges represent dangers, threats or difficulties that prevent the achievement of goals, and these challenges are attributed to their source. Social challenges represent a threat, danger, or detraction from a set of values or behaviors upon which the community value system is built, while cultural challenges represent a threat, danger or derogation. From the development of the cultural system, and educational challenges are represented in the presence of shortcomings and inability in educational institutions that hinder them from achieving the desired goals.

In general, it can be said that the challenges facing the individual are natural forces and conditions or undesirable human social conditions and things that are contrary to what we believe or aspire to, and constitute obstacles to achieving our goals and objectives at the individual or group level.

Roberts et al., (2011), believed that in light with difficulties and methodological barriers faced by students with disabilities, variety of studies have found that information, communication, technology and the employment of distance learning can be elements that favor their integration into the university system. In line to this study, Al-Hamidah (2020), “clarified the support services that are provided to students with disabilities to health services that include detection of hearing and visual disabilities through examination, control of infectious diseases and …”.

Dwaikat (2015), studied the reality of the services provided to students with special needs in Palestinian universities, from the point of view of the members of the teaching and administrative staff. An-Najah National University, and Birzeit University in Palestine, the researcher used the questionnaire as a tool to achieve the objectives of the study, and the results showed that the services provided to people with special needs according to their availability were arranged as follows: “the psychological, social, academic and then administrative fields, then the administrative facilities, and finally the structural facilities and the technology used.” and support for the education of people with special needs. The results also showed that there were no statistically significant differences in the provision of educational services provided to students with special needs due to the variable of the university in which they work, gender and educational qualification.

In a study conducted by Martins et al., (2021), investigated the views of the employees of disability services offices regarding the provision of services to students with disabilities, and describe the characteristics, difficulties and challenges of these offices. The sample consisted of (62) employees of a public university institution in Brazil and Portugal using a questionnaire developed for this purpose. The results showed that despite the demands faced by the offices of services for people with special needs, the signs of good progress in supporting students with disabilities are increasing. Although services play an important role, minimal autonomy and significant difficulties persist in many areas of management and intervention. Comprehensive policies based on equity and equal opportunity and more resources are needed to guarantee the rights of all students to higher education.

In Cameroon, Law No. 83/13, Article 3, of July 1983, provided for the needs and protection of individuals with disabilities with three major provisions: integration of children in ordinary schools, admission in special classes, and admission into specialized institutions (Protection of Disabled Persons, 2003). As of 2003, only 10 institutions (segregated schools for more significant disabilities such as visual impairments, multiple disabilities (mostly physical), deaf/hard of hearing, and behavioural disorders) existed in Cameroon that serve the needs of individuals with disabilities; out of the ten, only two are government institutions (Yuh & Shey, 2008).

1.3 Problem Statement

From my observation, obtaining a University degree at the University of Buea by a person with disabilities has been seen very difficult and crucial in their lives, mainly because it helps them secures job that they depend on for financial independence.

To this, it is observed that students with disabilities are entering higher education at a rapid rate than ever before. Historically, they do not perform better than those without  disability mainly because they struggle with low retention rates, increasing the challenges of transferring institutions; longer degree completion times, increasing the financial burden of higher education on these students; and higher dropout rates, limiting career earning potential (Gerdes et al., 2012; Brandy & Cynthia, 2016).

With so many factors affecting their academic performance, students with disabilities often find it difficult to adjust to the expectations and demands of a University. They are not receiving the supports services and accommodations they need to be successful in college according to Becker & Palladino, 2016. Faculty administrators and other students may have perceived negative attitudes towards them (Lombardi et al., 2012). University students with disabilities who need accommodations must take charge of their own academic careers and seek out disability services (Lechtenberger et al., 2012). The more information that a student has, the more powerful they become to address their needs in education.

It is important for higher education system to identify the various needs of the students with disabilities and provide them with the necessary support they need (Kayhan et al., 2015). However, students with disabilities must self-identify their self in on university campuses. By law, higher education faculty, administrators, and support staff cannot seek to identify these students. It is a Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) violation to ask a student if he or she has a disability. However, because students with disabilities are personally required to take a greater role in advocating for themselves, and perhaps because parents are not there to assist them like they were in high school, many of these students do not register with their campus disability office (Shallish, 2015).

After students enroll in a high institution and register with the campus office of disabilities, specific accommodations are been determined based on their unique needs. Although students with disabilities in the university may have approved accommodations, this does not mean that they have guaranteed access to these approved accommodations (Massengale & Vasquez, 2016). The institution themselves do not have to make adjustments if they would incur costs that would be a financial or administrative burden (Stephanie et al., 2015).

Additionally, students with disabilities must personally apply for the university of Buea accommodations and failure to do this may mean that an accommodation is not honored because the university was unaware of the student’s needs and legal entitlements. The student himself or herself must ensure consistent access to working technology; if a software program malfunctions or a piece of hardware breaks, the student must pursue getting a replacement. If a note-taker or interpreter fails to show up, the student must follow up.

In addition to the need to register with the campus disability office and gain access to recommended accommodations, students with disabilities need support systems Social and institutional support networks to help alleviate stress, reduce physical and psychological problems, and lower mortality rates. Stress, specifically, can lead to illness and destructive behaviors such as drug and alcohol consumption, poor diet, and lack of exercise. Types of support systems include emotional, practical, and professional support. By utilizing support systems, students with disabilities have a better chance of achieving academic success (Jairam & Kahl, 2012).

1.4 Research Questions

Given the above trend, this study therefore aims at exploring the following questions: The main research question of this study is: How do student with disabilities overcome the challenges of studying in the University of Buea?

The specific research questions of our study include:

1. What support services are available for student with disability at the University of Buea?
2. Do they exist supporting mechanisms for student with disability at the University of Buea?
3. How does the University of Buea environment help student with disability achieve academic success?

1.5 Research Objectives       

The main objective of this work is To investigate how student with disabilities overcome challenges of studying at the University of Buea”. Specific Objectives of our study are:

1. To examine how support services available for student with disability at the University of Buea help them achieve academic success.
2. To analyse how supporting mechanisms for student with disability help them achieve academic success at the University of Buea.
3. To assess how the University of Buea environment help student with disability in achieving academic success.

1.6 Research Hypotheses

The hypotheses of the study are stated in the null form and these are;

1. Support services available for student with disability at the University of Buea do not significantly help them achieve academic success.
2. Supporting mechanisms for student with disability do not significantly help them achieve academic success at the University of Buea.
3. University of Buea environment do not significantly help student with disability in achieving academic success.