Assessing the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Students Living with Disabilities in Federal University Wukari Taraba State, Nigeria

This study examined the awareness, availability, accessibility, and utilization of AI-driven assistive technologies for supporting students with disabilities at the Federal University Wukari (FUW). Guided by specific research questions, data analysis revealed that students demonstrate moderate awareness of AI-driven assistive technologies and their role in supporting learning activities, with mean ratings of (2.7%) for awareness and (2.5%) for availability. These findings suggest that many students perceive AI as having a meaningful impact on academic engagement and accessibility, aligning with Lyles (2024), who reported similar perceptions regarding AI’s influence on academic performance. Results further indicate that physical facilities supporting AI-driven technologies such as lecture halls, libraries, and computer laboratories are moderately accessible, with mean scores of (2.7%) and (2.5%) respectively. However, this level of accessibility suggests that many students with disabilities are not yet fully exposed to or benefiting optimally from AI applications, corroborating the findings of Olawade et al. (2025). Regarding availability, respondents acknowledged the presence of AI-driven assistive tools capable of meeting diverse disability needs (2.7%), though overall adequacy remained moderate (2.5%), implying that existing technologies are helpful but not sufficiently optimized to address all students’ needs, consistent with reports from the Journal of Special Education Technology (2025). Additionally, findings on utilization revealed that teaching staff moderately employ AI-driven assistive technologies in instructional delivery (2.7%), and students strongly recognize their importance in supporting learning activities (2.5%). Overall, the study underscores the crucial role of AI in enhancing learning experiences, independence, and academic participation for students with disabilities, while highlighting the need for improved optimization, exposure, and institutional support to maximize its inclusive potential at FUW.