Covid-19 and Disabilities in Higher and Tertiary Institutions in Zimbabwe.

Abstract

This study was motivated by the fact that despite all the interventions by government and NGOs in aiding students with disabilities during pandemics and disasters, the assistance is usually inadequate to cater for the needs of the students. This leads to a scenario where the students drop out of their studies as they fail to cope with disaster induced challenges. The study used the qualitative research methodology in acquiring research data and this proved to be flexible as it brought out in-depth information about experiences of learners under COVID19 pandemic and what they are experiencing now. Amongst other findings, the study noted that, despite the various interventions, leaners living with disabilities dropped out of university in the wake of the COVID 19 outbreak. The study recommends that, there is need for the government and NGOs to consider the rights of students living with disabilities in universities by providing them with all the necessary equipment for them to do their studies and complete their studies in time during the times of disasters and pandemics.