Attitudes towards the use of high-tech assistive technology among students with visual impairment in Tanzanian higher education institutions

This study utilized Technology Acceptance Model to evaluate the attitudes of students with visual impairments towards the use of high-tech assistive technologies in Tanzanian higher education institutions. The focus was on three key constructs: perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and intention to use assistive technologies. A Likert-scale questionnaire was administered to 64 students from three higher education institutions to assess their attitudes. The findings revealed that 53.6% of the participants had positive attitudes towards using high-tech assistive technologies, while 46.4% expressed negative attitudes. Students who viewed assistive technologies positively highlighted that tool such as computers and screen readers, significantly enhanced their academic performance, independence, and employability. Conversely, a notable portion of students with negative attitudes cited the complexity of interfaces, technical difficulties, and cognitive demands as barriers to effective use. The study recommends introducing high-tech assistive technologies at early stages of education, improving the design and user-friendliness of assistive technologies interfaces, and ensuring continuous technical support and training. Additionally, higher education institutions should provide adequate instructional resources and create supportive environment to encourage assistive technologies adoption. Employers should ensure that their workplaces are equipped with appropriate assistive devices to enable individuals with visual impairments to compete and succeed in the modern workforce. These measures will help students with visual impairments fully harness the advantages of assistive technologies in both their academic and professional endeavours.