Accessibility and Hospitality of Public Buildings for Students with Physical Disability; at the University of Gondar, Ethiopia

Abstract

Although several efforts have been made to ease the challenges of students with physical disability, accessibility of public buildings and hospitality of service persons is still a challenge facing students in getting services in their stay in the University. The aim of this study was to explore the accessibility of public buildings and hospitality of service persons for students with physical disability at the university of Gondar. Convergent parallel study design was used with a mixed research approach for the collection of quantitative and qualitative data concurrently. Complete enumeration (Census) was employed as a sampling technique to collect quantitative data from all the physically disabled students found in the study area. Purposive sampling technique were used to collect qualitative data. Questionnaire were used to collect quantitative data and qualitative data were collected using in-depth and key informant interview. Descriptive statistics like frequency and percentages were used to analyze quantitative data using Statistical Package for social science (SPSS V-26) and thematic qualitative analysis method was used to analyze qualitative data. Accordingly, the quantitative results were presented in tables and graphs. Whereas, qualitative results were presented thematically in text narrations. The study revealed that majority of the public buildings in the University of Gondar are not accessible for students with physical disability. Important building facilities user friendly for physically disabled students are either unavailable or not functional. All multistorey buildings in the university have no elevators, most ramps are slippery and steepy for free and safe movement of students with physical disability. The study also revealed that; servicepersons assigned to students’ service delivery buildings were not aware on how to give special service for students with physical disabilities. If few service persons give hospitality services it was on the basis of their willingness. Due to the inaccessibility of public buildings and poor assistance of servicepersons, the academic achievement of students with physical disabilities are negatively impacted. The service persons working in the different public buildings are not full filling the needs of students with physical disability. And hence students with physical disabilities in the university of Gondar are being challenged by accessibility and hospitality related socially constructed problems. So, the university is required to renovate the existing building facilities and well incorporate on the newly constructed ones. Moreover, series of awareness creation trainings should be given for servicepersons on how to serve students with disabilities.