Postgraduate Research Fellowship Report - Vitalis Bengano

Name

Vitalis Bengano

Email

benganov@tcd.ie

Degree registered for

PhD

Full-time or part-time

Full-time

School

Social Work and Social Policy

Current year of study

3

Provisional title of Thesis

An Exploration of the Experiences of Students with
Disabilities in Accessing the Built Environment in Higher
Education in Zimbabwe: A New Materialist Perspective.

Primary Supervisor

Dr. Edurne Garcia Iriarte
iriartee@tcd.ie

Co-supervisor

Dr. Michael Feely
MFEELY@tcd.ie

Award

TRiSS Postgraduate Research Fellowship 2023/24

SECTION B: RESEARCH PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) of 2006 ushered a human rights agenda to disability policy and practice worldwide. Zimbabwe is a signatory to this convention, which means that it has a responsibility to promote and protect the rights of disabled people on an equal basis with everyone else in all aspects of life. However, despite the potential of a human rights approach to disability, there have been concerns raised by some researchers about its applicability in the global south (see Meekosha & Soldaltic, 2011; García Iriarte, 2016; Chouinard, 2018). Chouinard (2018) argues that countries in the global south struggle to fulfil the rights of disabled people because they are located in the ‘global peripheries of law', typified by an acute shortage of financial and human resources needed to fully implement the convention. With regard to education, Article 24(1) of the CRPD mandates state parties to ensure an inclusive education system at all levels (UN, 2006). Despite reported progress in admitting disabled students to higher education globally, research indicates that these students continue to face numerous violations of their rights within educational institutions that admit them (Abuya & Githinji, 2021:1). However, there is a noteworthy dearth of empirical evidence on the experiences of disabled students in navigating the built-environment in higher education in the global south. Therefore, this study explores the experiences of disabled students in navigating the built environment in a higher education setting in Zimbabwe. Qualitative data was collected through participatory data methods, such as go-along/mobile interviews and photovoice with visually and physically impaired students respectively. Research findings can shed light on the everyday experiences of disabled students navigating the campus-built environment and how it affects their university experiences.  

SECTION C: TRiSS POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP

I am immensely grateful to have been selected for a TRiSS Postgraduate Research Fellowship, for the academic year 2023/24. This fellowship played a crucial role in my fieldwork in Zimbabwe, as it allowed me to solely concentrate on the process of data collection. The fellowship provided essential financial support for various field work expenses such as local travel, accommodation, venue bookings, printing, and purchasing the necessary research equipment.

The TRiSS Postgraduate Fellowship funds enabled me to buy three digital cameras for the photovoice data collection element of my research. I provided training to students with physical impairments on how to use the cameras. These students then used the cameras to gather photographs of barriers and facilitators in accessing different areas of the campus-built environment. The photovoice exercise empowered participants to capture images that truly represented their own experiences with accessibility. Additionally, I used the funds to purchase two pairs of wireless Lavalier lapel microphones for conducting go-along/walking interviews with visually impaired students in the campus-built environment.

According to a report from https://www.cable.co.uk/, Zimbabwe was ranked as the most expensive country globally in terms of the average cost of 1GB of mobile data (USD43.75) in 2023. The TRiSS funding helped me purchase enough mobile data to access the internet in Zimbabwe. A reliable internet connection was essential for the safe transfer of research data from audio recorders and cameras onto TCD One Drive as soon as possible, as required by the TCD Policy on Good Research Practice (2024:19). It also allowed me to stay in touch with my supervisors in TCD via Microsoft Teams and email throughout the fieldwork period. Moreover, the funds enabled me to print Participant Information Leaflets in accessible formats (e.g. Braille and large print) for visually impaired participants. Accessible formats are crucial to ensuring inclusive research practices, which in turn can enhance the value of research outcomes, as required by the TCD Policy on Good Research Practice (2024:4). Furthermore, the fellowship greatly helped me cover local transportation to and from the research site for eight weeks, as well as easy movement from one organisation to another to secure the necessary research clearance. Instead of relying on public buses, the funds helped me use a private car, thereby ensuring the secure handling of research equipment (e.g. cameras, audio recorders, microphones, power banks, and laptops). For example, one participant who uses a wheelchair wanted to show me around his medical school. However, the medical school was about 7 km away from the main campus, where the student resides. Instead of using public buses (mostly inaccessible), we used a private car to travel to and from the medical school. Therefore, besides allowing me to purchase the necessary research equipment, TRiSS funding greatly helped in breaking down potential barriers to inclusive research practices as I was able to provide Participant Information Leaflets in accessible formats (Braille and Large print).

SECTION D: FUTURE DIRECTIONS

The table below summarises some of the planned research activities, 2024/25

*Name anonymised