Challenges faced by visually impaired individuals from the perspective of faculty members: a phenomenological study

Visually impaired students in higher education face significant academic, social, and psychological barriers that are often overlooked by faculty. This phenomenological study explored these challenges at Hail University, Saudi Arabia, by purposively sampling six faculty members from the Colleges of Law and Education to capture diverse disciplinary perspectives and ranks. Semi-structured interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and subjected to inductive thematic analysis with member checking and inter-rater reliability to ensure rigor. Three interrelated themes emerged: Academic Challenges-including inaccessible textbooks (lack of Braille and poorly tagged digital formats), rigid visual-based teaching methods, and absence of clear accommodation policies; Social Challenges-marked by peer ignorance, campus isolation, and exclusion from collaborative learning; and Psychological Challenges-manifested in faculty feelings of helplessness and student anxiety and low self-confidence stemming from repeated accessibility failures. Contrasting with Western models that centralize disability services, Hail University's decentralized approach places the accommodation burden on individual faculty, underscoring the need for systemic reforms. We recommend establishing dedicated disability offices, mandating the concept of education training, launching campus-wide awareness campaigns, and integrating targeted mental-health support to foster equitable and sustainable learning environments.