10.

Empowering Special Groups for Success in Higher Education

According to declaration of the UNESCO world conference on higher education access higher
education for members of some special target groups such as
Indigenous peoples
Cultural and linguistic minorities
Disadvantaged groups
Peoples living under occupation
Peoples suffer from disabilities
Must be actively facilitated.
Introduction
Empowering special groups for success in higher education means give focuses on students
with special learning needs such as gifted and handicapped or disabled by different problems.
In addition to this we give attention used by teachers in higher education institution promoting
access, participation and achievement of students.
10.1 Special needs Education in Higher Institutions
Special need education has many problems starting from primary school level to higher institution
level and the problems are more or less common.
Special needs education means the education of individuals who have learning difficulties
because of visual, auditory, emotional or other physical disabilities caused by birth, mental or
physical health patterns or accident is later life.
Special need education is a part of general education which treats peoples as individuals,
adapting relevant equipment, personal curriculum and methods to identifiable and
unidentifiable problems that obstruct learning.
We have many issue of persons with special needs but generally we can classify in to
Disability
Handicapped
Impairment
Beside this a problem of disability in higher education generally classified as
Speech and language disorder has a problem of communicating with any one in either
university or college.
Emotional disturbance: - this is a problem is related to the difficulties of interpersonal
relationship. they did not get close friends in universities. The others are hearing impairment,
visual impairment, physical and health impairment. Also based on UNESCO (1999) workshop
in Dakar broadened the concepts of special needs education rather than mentioned above such
as students with HIV, abused students, poor, gifted students etc.
Thus, due to the problem of all stated above teaching and learning materials may developed
especially for this learner. such as teaching and learning materials, lecturer in class room,
laboratory, examination materials, more time allocation during exam, infrastructure in the
institution, appropriate equipment must be available specially for the students needs special needs
education.
10.2 Teaching Students with special needs in higher Institution
Students who have some problem of disability are rapidly increasing from year to year in higher
institution such as university. So, we must give attention to this students during teaching in class
room as well as outside the class room. Though we get different students who have different
disability, we cannot understand their physical problems and learning behavior. thus, in order to
treat their problem, we must follow them using the following ways.
Ask your students to clarify any special needs at the beginning of each semester. It must be
make general announcement such as identifying students with disability.
Remember that disabled students are students first, disabled second. Offer assistance only if a
students requests help or if the need is immediately obviously.
Be flexible about attendance and promptness. Try to identify students physical problems
depends on their behavior such as getting class on time and difficulty of concentration in class
Be sensitive to non-visible or hidden disabilities. In this case we consider three types of
disabilities
The first one problem of low level vision, slight accommodated by depending on
seating and room lighting in the class room.
The second problem is related to chronic disability. This type may need flexibility in
scheduling of assignments.
The last problem related to with be sensitive to non-visible disabilities is learning
disabilities. Learning disabilities is not the reflection of students intelligence. In this
problem, we must use variety of instructional modes to increase learning of such
students.
Observe seating needs. Students who use canes, crutches, wheels chairs should be considered
according to infrastructure in the higher institution. Such as classroom tables, laboratory tables,
computer consoles, students caf should be constructed comfortably.
Follow good teaching practice. Many techniques that will help student who have learning
disability as well as
to all students in a class are brief review of previous session an outline of that day topic.
give new/ technical vocabulary by visually and orally in class, describe all visual
examples using board and
give a time for students to ask question, clarification and review.
Face the class when you are speaking. since deaf students have the ability read the lips, but not
follow all lecture in the class, thus compensate their understanding by using facial expression,
gestures and body language.
Arrange for the class room participation or an alternative activity. In class room, different
students have different properties to ask or answer question. from the teacher expect that meet
students before and after the class room, called their name in class room.
Listen attentively when a student with speech disability. Understand during students responds.
Give options for oral presentation. Students have the ability to present without assistance but
other need some help. So, the teacher may understand their fashion.
Curriculum concern for the special learners
The curriculum is suited not only for normal student but also it may consider disable students. The
curriculum should consider forecast the knowledge, skill, attitudes, diagnose students present level
of knowledge and ensure good instructional setting.
Methodology in special needs education
The characteristics of special needs education are students are rewarded by self-interest activates
after completing an assignment, learner is motivated by achievements
Teachers encouragement and support are indispensable to motivate children from time
to time.
Materials that are source of anxiety in students are removed.
Sensory avenues are used.
Evaluation is carried out in relaxed atmosphere.
Manipulate materials in order to have great value in classroom.
Group projects for students and allow them to create group.
Allow to use electronic materials.
Learning environment must be suited to special needs of the disabled.
Competition is reduced to minimum and every student pass on his own work.
Cheek students are trained in use of new technological materials and cheek they have
materials they used in education.
Techers should act as catalyst to develop understanding of the students and should
understand the need of students with disability.
Individualized education program
Special needs education requires educator to focus on the needs of individual students disabilities.
The process of identifying this student contains six phases.
Referral
Assessment
Instructional planning
Placement
Instruction
Evaluation procedure, this can be checked out many times with students.

Educational needs of disabled students

The needs of students in higher education institution are
Cultural identity
Participatory approach
Identification of cultural methods
Identification of educational objectives of co-operation agency
Teachers assigned to train students with special need should
Manage educational system related to disabled students
Prepare special need students to challenge, give them advance technical knowledge
Make record of students performance
 Understand the curriculum related to disabled students
Understand the working capacity of students
Enhancing learning environment for students with special needs
Teachers in higher education must consider the following suggestions to treat students with
special needs
The educational environment
Consider the students use wheel chair
Give training, consider examination time for special need students
Supporting services
Special needs support by either educator related to special needs or non-professionals. Supporting
service required in special needs education are
Social work
Practical place
Parents
Psychologist
Therapist
Neurologist
Counselors
Training for employment opportunities
Higher education training program for disabled students must be tailored for either self-
employment or employment in public and private purpose.
Technology in Special needs education
Information and technology play an important role in education of handicapped students. Since
advanced technologies are rapidly growing from time to time, the handicapped person in
developing country have not obtained this full of technology. The educational technology in
special need education relates to each handicapping condition depend on visual, hearing and
physical disability.
For visual problem, technological materials are braille machine, talking machine and audio tape.
For hearing problem, technological materials are audiometer speech trainers, computers etc.
For physical handicapped problem, manual wheel chairs and electrical type writers are useful
technological materials.