Smartphone Usages among Students with Visually Challenged for their Socio-academic Life in Higher Education

Smartphones are an important part of our daily lives for sighted people and those with visually challenged in India. This study aims to explore how higher education students use smartphones for their socio-academic lives. A descriptive research design was carried out with a participant of 19 students with visually challenged. The data was collected by using a self-made checklist, semi-structured interview, and questionnaire and the analysis was based on percentage analysis and content analysis. The findings of the study revealed that most of the students with visual challenges are using smartphones more than 7 hours per day. Smartphones facilitate performing daily activities, independent functioning, movement, social inclusion and participation, educational activities, accessing information of today’s digital society, promoting their skills, and finally helping to improve the quality of life. The students with visually challenged are also distracted during their studies on smartphones, which affects their functioning capability. The integration of smartphones into the daily lives of students with visual challenges has a positive effect on their functioning.