The risk of excluding people with sensory disabilities from education as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The authors refer to the risk of people with sensory disabilities dropping out of higher education in Poland due to the move towards online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. They present information on the unique situation of students with sensory dysfunctions, refer to the issues of distance learning in higher education, and present the methodological assumptions behind their research. The outcome of the research and observations resulting from the authors’ practical experiences allowed them to formulate conclusions that relate to various areas of distance learning, including technology and methodology, the social-psychological area, the need for equipment, the evaluation of distance education and its negative vs positive aspects. This allowed them to reveal certain aspects of online learning of people with disabilities associated with the need to further explore the issues raised in theoretical, empirical, and practical dimensions.