AUC’s Visually Impaired Students say More Needs to be Done on Campus

• Reporter: Mariam Mandour
• Edited by: Nadeen Ghoniem

Students rush through the university corridors and plaza, moving in groups with ease, sipping coffee, and scrolling through their phones. However, for visually impaired students, every step is a calculated action, requiring them to count their steps, listen for cues, and feel their way across areas designated for the their mobility.

AUC is the only academic institution in Egypt that goes to great lengths to provide an inclusive atmosphere for persons with disability.

According to its website “the University continues to lead the charge for inclusivity, setting a precedent for educational institutions across the region.”

Dr. Alexandra Gazis, Associate Director of Student Accessibility Services (SAS) points out that AUC is one of the top universities in the MENA region in terms of very high inclusivity satisfaction and inclusion/accessibility.

“However, for visually impaired students, true accessibility goes beyond elevators and support services. Awareness and understanding of their daily challenges are just as crucial as physical accommodations,” she said.

A number of visually impaired students have voiced some of their challenges and concerns on social media platforms like Rate AUC professors. They speak of having to navigate the challenges that come from lack of awareness and social exclusion daily. They frequently have trouble getting around campus on their own. Their academic progress may be affected by a lack of appropriate assistive equipment, braille materials, and inclusive teaching strategies. 

Furthermore, they say, it might be difficult for visually impaired students to fully participate in university life due to inadvertent exclusion caused by their classmates’ and lack of information available to faculty.

Mahmoud Ismail Helmy, a visually impaired senior student double majoring in Philosophy and Arabic Studies and minoring in English and Comparative Literature (ECLT), recalled an incident in the dormitory where a resident advisor designed a game that excluded visually impaired students.

“Some members of the AUC community, students, staff and professors, have a serious problem with imagining what visually impaired people can and cannot do, Helmy told The Caravan. He later reported the incident to the office of Residential Life. 

Beyond awareness, campus navigation presents another challenge. Some students are willing to assist their visually impaired peers around campus, but they lack the proper training on how to do so effectively. 

“I personally have challenges with full independent navigation; yet, this does not necessarily mean that the campus is not quite accessible,” said Helmy. Although AUC has made great progress in improving accessibility, he clarified that some aspects still need to be improved to give visually impaired students a more seamless experience. 

Academically, the university provides support to students so that they can get the best education, giving them accommodation letters acknowledging their need for assistance. When it comes to the professor-student relationship, they are usually tackled differently. 

Helmy says that some professors actively coordinate with visually impaired students to understand their needs. He added: “Some professors are not that enthusiastic to learn about my needs in detail; they just rely on a list of accommodations indicated in the letter they would receive, with no attention to establishing a good environment.”

Gazis believes that some professors struggle to implement Universally Designed Learning, making it harder for visually impaired students to succeed academically.

Gazis added that one of the most frequent concerns raised by students is that some faculty disregard the accommodations that have been made for them, resulting in needless academic challenges.

In the meantime, some visually impaired students still find it difficult to participate in clubs and student groups. Visually impaired individuals frequently feel excluded from student-led projects because their needs are not taken into consideration.

Nevertheless, Helmy believes there is a way forward such as to train student leaders on accessibility so that clubs and extracurricular activities would be more inclusive. His idea is to start a student-run magazine that focuses on empowering students with disabilities as well as helping them share their insights on relevant matters. 

“My point is that that intended magazine would be a gathering of educational leaders to express and share their insights on ongoing matters related to disability empowerment,” said Helmy

He also proposes including visually challenged students in club planning procedures.

Chair of the Events Committee at the Student Union Amr Bahaa says that they strive to be inclusive in campus events. He said that for the convenience of visually challenged students, special access points are provided. A dedicated person is on hand to help them find their way to their locations. 

“When organizing events, accessible routes are top priority, especially for big events like concerts,” Bahaa emphasized. 

While these measures help, some students say they fall short of full inclusion.

Laila Elbeheri, the Manager of Student Accessibility Services (SAS) emphasized that one of the biggest obstacles for visually impaired students is feeling left out.

“Events are not always inclusive, which can lead to feelings of isolation or exclusion.”

Elbeheri explained that even while AUC complies with regulations and standards for accessible design stipulated by the Americans with Disabilities Act, some labs and buildings are still challenging to find, and unmarked physical barriers or fountains might provide unforeseen risks. 

As part of an accessibility strategy for the entire campus, tactile pavement—such as, raised lines, domes, surface indicators, and other devices and textures used to communicate safety information—is now being developed.

SAS officer Sofia Sobhy told The Caravan that students with visual impairments may traverse campus with the use of assistive technologies, including JAWS (a screen reader), scribes, and Disability Assistant Peers (DAPs). To guarantee complete inclusion in every aspect of university life, however, continuous advancements and awareness-raising initiatives are required.