Page 138 - RUICHSS 2023 Proceeding

University of Ruhuna ISSN: 2706-0063
Matara, Sri Lanka

The survey revealed that all SWDs were admitted to the university through
special intake except for only one student. Around 40% received guidance

in selecting universities and 65% of them managed to follow a degree

programme of their preference. The survey disclosed that the most common
and the rarest disability among SWDs were blind/visual impairments (43%)

and mental disability (4.3%), respectively. 52% of the SWDs felt that their
disability had a negative impact on their academic life. Only 39% of SWDs

were aware of the availability of a Special Needs Resource Center (SNRC)
in their universities. 84% of them used at least 01 form of technology

available to support their studies. The majority of the SWDs found

difficulties in mobility as the greatest barrier to learning at the university.

However, gaining admission to a university is not the only barrier that an
SWD will encounter in entering higher education; maintaining regular

attendance in classes is another barrier they face, just like the other students.

There should be a conducive environment for them to learn within the
university. One of the main requirements for most SWDs is physical

accessibility to the university. For instance, although the University of
Peradeniya caters to the largest number of SWD admissions in the university

system in Sri Lanka, until last year there was not even a disabled-accessible
ramp to enter a classroom for learning. Whenever an SWD enters a

classroom, either the parents or the peers walk them to the classroom or

carry them.

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