A. Analysis of sample data

14 interviews were held with a sample group consisting of 14 male and female students with visual impairments at Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh, Morocco.

Programme of study

The students were enrolled in a varied range of different degree programmes, namely: law (5 students), English (4), Arabic (2), Islamic studies (1), history (1), and sociology (1).

It is worth noting that the majority of students with visual impairments were studying law or English, as opposed to other subjects such as geography, which is a technical cognitive science that relies on examining and drawing maps and other cartographic material. While those materials can be digitized, both the nature of the subject and its reliance on the colour spectrum make it a challenging subject for students with visual impairment.

One may assume that the students opted for the above-mentioned subjects partly because the learning materials used do not pose perception difficulties for those with visual impairments, and partly because of the general broad appeal of the English language, which is gaining in popularity; with its vital role in the present and future business world and close ties to the jobs market, English is an attractive subject for students in general, and those with visual impairments in particular.

Gender

The sample, which consists of nine males and five females, is reflective of the higher proportion of males who have access to and enter into higher education.

Degree type

12 of the students surveyed were studying at bachelor’s level, and only two at master’s level. It should be noted that the number of students typically decreases with each stage of education, as students leave the education system. With regard to the low representation of students with visual impairments on master’s courses, one of the female interviewees explained this by saying that master’s degrees posed a challenge in terms of exams, textbooks and attendance: “We can’t do a master’s course, they won’t select us, and it would be very difficult for us to reach that stage of education”.

Region

Most of the students in the sample group were from the urban centre of Marrakesh, which shows that these students have better access to higher education and more of them remain in education than their peers in rural areas, since the latter live in more disadvantaged conditions.