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Despite the recognized benefits, access to assistive technology (AT) remains limited. Identifying the current usage patterns and unmet needs of AT users could help address the challenges of students with disabilities. Thus, this study aimed to investigate AT use and its associated factors. An institution-based cross-sectional mixed study was conducted on higher education students with disabilities in Ethiopia. An interviewer-administered questionnaire and an in-depth interview technique were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression models were used to analyse the quantitative data, while inductive thematic analysis was undertaken for the qualitative data. A total of 233 (74.68%) with (95% CI: 70%–80%) students with disabilities used at least one form of AT. Four themes emerged which include experiences of AT use and disability, benefits and challenges of using AT, perception of the community towards AT, and responsibility for the provision of AT. Students with vision problems or those with severe disability types were most likely to be AT users. A significant proportion of students with disabilities had unmet needs for AT. Capacity at universities or rehabilitation centres would enhance access, usage of AT, and the unmet needs of students with disabilities. Will help to solve the barriers to accessing assistive technology and associated factors in the access and provision of assistive technology. Will help policymakers and stakeholders to design evidence-based rehabilitation strategies in the provision of assistive technology to persons with disabilities. Provide insight into the role of assistive technology in an educational platform to engage people with disabilities in education, improve their quality of life and lead them to become part of a productive society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there is widespread support for inclusion at a philosophical level, there are some concerns that teachers lack the necessary knowledge and skills to educate students with disability in inclusive classrooms. Utilising a data set of 125 teachers from 3 teacher education institutions and 6 secondary schools in Ethiopia, this study reports the effects of teacher training on understanding inclusive education, teachers' attitudes towards inclusion and their feelings towards students with a disability. The results show that there are two positions reflected in conceptualising inclusive education, i.e. the concept that is placing children with disability in the regular class, while another concept is just providing support to children with disability. This study reports 81–85% of the participants' positive understanding of the overall purpose of inclusive education. Teachers reported a more positive attitude towards inclusion than those who had negative experiences implementing inclusive pedagogy and working with children with disabilities in inclusive classrooms. The main concerns regarding the implementation of inclusive education include very little readiness (62%), inadequate teacher preparation (38%), lack of instructional materials (25%), less attention being paid to teacher preparation for inclusive education (20%), etc. The implications discussed and suggestions made for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To the knowledge of the present researcher, studies on the experience of blind students in the Ethiopian higher education institutions are very limited, and thus this study is meant to make some contribution on the subject. The study focused on the experiences of 22 blind students, randomly picked from two campuses of Bahir Dar University. To that end, using a case study design, data were generated through in-depth interview, key-informant interview, and focus group discussions on the availability of support services, challenges participants experienced, and their coping mechanisms. Results of the study revealed that, though the university provided participants with some financial support on an annual and a monthly basis, several challenges were still affecting the participants' academic and social experiences. The study has implicated the inclusion of blind students cannot be complete unless equal emphasis is given to ensure accessible instructional materials (in Braille or audio files), pedagogy, and facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]