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In Nigeria, it is no longer business as usual with the advent of technology and digital usage, and as such, the digital landscape is rapidly evolving, especially in the areas of education and information access. For visually-impaired students, navigating the digital landscape of examination registrations with bodies like the West Africa Examinations Council (WAEC), the National Examinations Council (NECO) and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) can present significant challenges, highlighting the need for inclusive digital public infrastructure, JUSTINA ASISHANA writes.
Experiences of visually-impaired students
Danlami Usman, 23, a visually-impaired young man who lives in Minna, narrated that he took the National Examinations Council (NECO) and the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examinations last year. His school registered him for the examinations and so he did not face any hurdle in the process. He, however, said that his challenge came from accessing his results, pointing out that while his mates, who did not have the same challenge as he, bought their scratch cards and could check their results easily. He had to rely on his younger brother to help him check his results.
But, Mary Madaki had to go to a cyber cafe to register for the 2023 NECO external SSCE, making her rely on the operator of the cyber cafe and her cousin, who accompanied her, to ensure that the right information was correctly filled in.
“We had to go over it and over again just to ensure that everything is correct, but I know that if it is someone that sees, the person would have been following the operator as he fills the form or possibly fill the form themselves. But I had to tell my cousin to be very attentive to ensure the spelling was correct so that there would not be an issue when I wanted to sit for the examination. So, for what someone can spend 20 minutes on, I spent over an hour on it,” she recounted.
However, the visually-impaired students alternatively can rely on assistive technologies like Job Access With Speech (JAWS) and Non-Visual Desktop Access (NVDA) to navigate digital platforms. These screen readers convert text to speech, enabling users to interact with web content. However, the effectiveness of these tools is contingent upon the accessibility features of the websites in question.
According to the 2021 Mobile Disability Gap Report by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), only 16 per cent of people with disabilities (PWDs) on the continent use the internet.
According to the Vice Chairman of the Niger State chapter of the Joint Association of People Living with Disabilities, Mr. Mohammed Mohammed, the primary determinant of successful navigation is the user’s computer literacy and the presence of necessary assistive applications on their devices. He noted that while some visually-impaired individuals possess personal laptops equipped with these tools, others depend on internet cafes, where assistance is provided by operators. This dependency, he said, underscores the variability in user experience, influenced by individual resources and technical proficiency.
“I want to inform you that there are some visually-impaired who are computer literate. If they do have their laptops, they can register or check their results directly without any issues. As long as they are computer literate, the issue of navigation is all about the laptop or the system you are using for that purpose. If the computer they are using has talkback like the JAWS or NVDE, they will be able to navigate easily.
“The NVDE is a talkback, just like JAWS. So, whatever you touch in the computer, any of these two apps that you have will tell you or rather speak to you. Once their laptops have those facilities, we call them accessibility facilities. Once the accessibility facilities are available there, of course, they can navigate through the website, because anywhere they go, it will tell them where they are going. Once the computer has these facilities, they operate it freely like any other person who sees it. What is key is for them to be computer literate. The website must not come with it. It is only your laptop that should have it. Just where you have some apps on your handset. So, it should be there on your laptop. Of course, you know, the laptop should have some of these applications in it.
“So, it depends on who is going for the exams and if the person is computer literate or not. For those who are not computer literate, they can go to a cyber cafe and the operator there can assist them. They will ask them questions while they sit and they help them fill the forms and submit them. The operator does the typing for the person.”
Institutional responses and provisions
The general requirement for a candidate for Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) is for them to generate a profile code where they use their phone number to send an SMS to a dedicated number, which would, in turn, send a profile code to them, which can be used to purchase the E-pin. Thereafter, they are to visit the JAMB profile before visiting the JAMB CBT centre for biometric capture. After this, they fill out the online form by providing their academic qualifications, personal information and choice of institution.
Special candidates, who include people with disabilities, are also to go through the same process to purchase the registration PIN through any accredited channel, set up their profile just like the other candidates, go to the CBT centre and provide the medical report during registration, which will help determine if any accommodations are needed. In accredited CBT centres, assistance is said to be made available for candidates with impairments. The attendants in the centre would help them fill in the required details on the JAMB registration portal and print their slips for reference.
In 2024, JAMB, being supportive of visually-impaired candidates, reduced registration fees for candidates with disabilities, lowering the cost from N5,000 to N3,500 and demonstrating a commitment to making examinations more accessible. Additionally, JAMB provides special arrangements, such as separate centres and extra time during examinations, to accommodate the needs of these candidates.
Similarly, NECO acknowledges the importance of inclusivity. The Director of Information of the NECO told The Nation that during examinations, provisions are made for visually-impaired candidates, including additional time to complete their exams.
He, however, said that the registration process often relies on schools to act on behalf of candidates, which may not fully address the autonomy and accessibility needs of visually-impaired students, especially those registering independently.
“We have not been having any complaints from people who are visually-impaired in having access to our websites. During our examinations, we make special provisions for the physically impaired, like the blind; we also make provisions for people with albinism. We give them additional 30 minutes. For the visually impaired too, we give them additional 30 minutes during our exam so that they will be able to meet up with others.
“People with disabilities have been participating actively in all our examinations. Both the SSCE, BECE, National Common Entrance and the National Gifted Examination. For the registration, in most cases, it is the school that does the registration on behalf of the candidates; even for those that are not physically-impaired, it is the school authorities that do that. Except for the external exam, where maybe those who are physically-impaired may seek for the assistance of their relations or friends to help them do that,” he said.
The role of digital literacy and assistive technologies
Digital literacy and access to assistive technologies are pivotal in bridging the accessibility gap. Digital literacy is not just computer literacy; rather it is the ability to use digital technologies for information exchange across digital platforms.
Initiatives like the “Break the Bias” project, led by Oluwakemi Odusanya, aim to empower visually- impaired women through digital literacy training. By equipping participants with computer skills and proficiency in screen reader software, such programmes enhance the ability of visually impaired individuals to navigate digital platforms independently.
Further research showed the need for assistive technologies in educational settings. A study focusing on visually-impaired students at the Nigerian Law School by Nnamdi S. Ozor highlights that proficiency in digital literacy and the use of assistive tools are enablers of academic performance. The study advocates for the integration of such technologies to facilitate better access to educational resources and platforms.
Challenges and the path forward
Despite the efforts put in by these examination bodies, challenges persist. The cost of acquiring assistive technologies and the necessary training remains a significant barrier for many visually impaired individuals. Moreover, the design of some educational websites does not fully comply with accessibility standards, limiting the effectiveness of screen readers and other assistive tools. Only a handful of apps and websites in Nigeria are accessible to PWDs, according to a recent survey of some blind and visually-impaired people in the country.
In a panel titled: “Technology and Disability” at the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica) 2024, several barriers were outlined regarding why the digital inclusion of PWDs remains a persisting issue on the continent.
Barriers to progress include high illiteracy rates among this group, high poverty levels that hinder access to smartphones and assistive technologies (e.g. screen readers), low digital skills, and the inaccessibility of digital products and services across the continent.
According to Mohammed, the call is to the government and other organisations to make these assistive technologies affordable for people with visual impairments as the high cost of the software often make it difficult for them to be digitally literate.
“Anything that has to do with the visually-impaired, particularly in terms of education, is expensive. Let me just be honest with you, they really need these technological devices for them to be able to access educational materials and that is why you can see many of them have refused to go further than secondary education. Like I’m telling you about a laptop, an average laptop now costs more than N100,000. Even if you get a laptop, you don’t stop there because they will need the apps.
“Like the JAWS I talked about now, you have to buy it online, which is expensive. For someone without visual impairment, you do not need any JAWS in your laptop. So, once you buy a laptop, you are good to go but for the visually- impaired, it’s not about buying the laptop alone. It’s about also getting money to buy the app or software.
“The government needs to make it affordable for them. Otherwise, it’s not easy. It’s rather on the high side. For example, someone without visual impairment will spend N100 for registering for an examination online but in their own case, they will spend N500.
“Just imagine now, someone who is visual impaired want to go to a cafe. If he’s not familiar with the terrain, he will have to get somebody to accompany him there. So, you can see, as I said, our life generally is expensive and for those of us, who have gotten the privilege to have seen the four corners of the universities, know how difficult and expensive it is,” he said.
An educationist, Chuwodi Ikem, said to foster a more inclusive digital environment, examination bodies and educational institutions must prioritise web accessibility in their digital infrastructure.
According to him, this includes adhering to international accessibility standards, providing alternative text for images, ensuring keyboard navigability, and offering user-friendly interfaces compatible with screen readers.
As Nigeria continues to embrace digital transformation in education, the inclusion of visually-impaired students must remain a central consideration. By enhancing digital public infrastructure to accommodate assistive technologies and investing in digital literacy programmes, stakeholders can ensure that all students, regardless of visual ability, have equitable access to educational opportunities and resources.