The Effect of Assistive Technology on Vocabulary Learning of Students with Visual Impairments

The present study sought to investigate the role of assistive technology (AT) in English vocabulary learning by students with visual impairment (VI) in an English as a foreign language (EFL) context. It also endeavored to elicit their attitudes towards AT through a semi-structured interview. To this end, 22 students with VI were divided into an experimental and a control group. Before the experiment, their initial vocabulary knowledge was measured through a pretest. Over five sessions, the experimental group was assigned to learn the target vocabulary items via a screen reader, i.e., non-visual desktop access (NVDA). In the absence of NVDA, the control group was exposed to the same vocabulary items by implicit instruction. Then, both groups received a posttest. The results of an independent samples t-test run on the data obtained from the post-test demonstrated that the experimental group built significantly larger vocabulary items than the control group. Responses given to a semi-structured interview revealed that learners prompted by AT acknowledged that the assistance afforded by NVDA, as a supplementary tool, facilitated learning the target vocabulary items. Based on the findings of the present study the incorporation of AT into the instructional materials of students with VI is recommended.