Web 2.0 Tools: awareness and extent of use among visually impaired students

Abstract

The article discusses a study conducted at Aligarh Muslim University to identify the awareness and use of Web 2.0 Tools by visually impaired students. The survey technique was employed in which structured interview method was followed to collect data from 83 visually impaired students and analysed using SPSS (Version 23). Findings of the study reveal that these students were aware about Web 2.0 Tools. Among these, 32.5% students possessed membership of these tools for more than 3 years and majority were using WhatsApp (89.2%), YouTube (87.9%), and Facebook (85.5%) on daily basis. These tools were used by students for different purposes, for instance 91.6% students utilized these tools for academic purposes, 84.3% for seeking job opportunities, and 81.9% for sharing knowledge. It also came to light that the major problem faced by visually impaired users was in the form of compatibility issues with screen readers (85.5%) and non-availability of JAWS software in all languages (66.3%). Further, the study also put forth certain suggestions for enhancing the use of Web 2.0 Tools among visually impaired students.