Experiences of College Students with Visual Disabilities During the COVID-19

This case study explores the experiences of Nepalese college students with visual disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, applying Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory as a theoretical framework. Through in-depth interviews with eight students with visual disabilities studying bachelor and master level at a public college, this research describes challenges and chances across five primary domains of the ecological perspective. The study showed the critical role of immediate support circles in academic and social contexts, the needed interactions between parents and educational institutions, observable gaps in institutional support and government policies, and the dual role of the pandemic as a challenge and a stimulus for self-efficacy. The study suggests the need for a comprehensive approach to supporting college students with visual disabilities, integrating effective support networks, fostering continuous stakeholder discourse, and enhancing interactive policy and pedagogical flexibility during pandemic and general situation.