Quality of Life of deaf adolescents in high school: A systematic literature review.

There are few studies that have explored the Quality of Life (QoL) for deaf adolescents in high school (13-18 years). Following the PRISMA guidelines, this systematic literature review examined peer-reviewed research that has explored QoL for deaf adolescents in high school by using databases such as Science Citation Index, Scopus and Social Science Citation Index in addition to some related journals such as American Annals of the Deaf, the Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, Ear and Hearing, and Deafness and Education International spanning 14 years (2010-2024). By analysing the titles, abstracts, and keywords and reading full manuscripts, only seven were deemed appropriate for inclusion in this systematic review. All seven studies used quantitative research. This systematic review found that there is a discrepancy between the studies included in the use of measures. The results of the studies are different and some are contradictory. The QoL concept also differed amongst the studies. This study concluded that there is a great need to conduct more research into the QoL of deaf adolescents in high school with diverse research methods and the use of qualitative or mixed research, as well as expanding the scope of studies to include more dimensions in the concept of QoL.

Examining contributing factors for the implementation of inclusion students with disabilities from the perspective of university academics in Saudi Arabia.

Inclusive education focuses on implementing education for individuals who do not follow typical learning trajectory and require special educational needs (SEN). Educational systems in many countries around the world, including Saudi Arabia, tend to implement and practise inclusive education in order to fulfill relevant international conventions and achieve educational standards of acceptable quality in educating children and young people with medical and neurodevelopmental conditions. This study seeks to reveal some of the factors that may help to overcome the obstacles faced in the implementation of inclusive education from the point of view of academics of special education in Saudi universities. To achieve this goal, the study used semi-structured interviews as its primary tool for data collection. Sixteen male and female faculty members specialized in special education in several Saudi public universities were interviewed. The data were analysed thematically. Two master themes were derived from the thematic analyses, 1) theoretical factors and 2) applied factors. Both master themes had several sub-themes. A number of factors were identified as helping to implement inclusive education thereby changing the behaviours and attitudes towards including students with disabilities Saudi context. It is suggested here that similar factors might exist in other countries in Middle East and beyond.

Quality of life of higher education students with disabilities at Shaqra University.

Saudi Arabia, through its Vision 2030, seeks to enhance the Quality of Life (QoL) of all individuals who live there. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the of QoL of students with disabilities in a Saudi university (Shaqra University) as a case study. Although this study was conducted in one university, many students with disabilities around the world are facing the same systematic practices in many universities (Carballo et al., 2021; Khayatzadeh-Mahani et al., 2020). Therefore, this study used qualitative research by interviewing all students with disabilities who are registered at the university for the academic year 2022-2023. In addition to these 11 students with disabilities, 2 senior university administrators who have a direct relationship with the services provided to these students were also interviewed. The overall outcomes confirm that the QoL for these students is very low due to multiple factors that were discussed in detail.

Awareness of disability among saudi university graduates.

Awareness of disability is fundamental to creating equity for people with disabilities in any society. Because Saudi university graduates constitute an important part of society, this study aims to explore the level of awareness of disability amongst Saudi university graduates as well as the level of experience on disability as provided by their universities. A cross-sectional study was performed using a questionnaire developed by the researchers specifically for the purposes of this study. The questionnaire consisted of 4 sections, containing 39-items. Social media were used to recruit the participants and solicit responses: Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp groups. Upon analysis of the results, it was observed among all respondents (n = 449, male = 246, female = 203) that there was a lack of disability awareness. As such, there is a need to increase this awareness among university students in Saudi Arabia. There is also a fundamental need to provide some programs and/or courses about disability in Saudi universities. Moreover, there were statistically significant differences between gender, university type and university major. The study was limited to the Saudi context, and perhaps further research can deal with the major reasons for the awareness shortcomings, and may also cover other countries, singularly or comparatively, which would in turn yield better and more effective results. The study helps address the equality of people with disabilities where the result of the study can be used as the basis for further research on the topic.

Full exclusion during COVID-19: Saudi Deaf education is an example.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world in many aspects, including educational provision. Most countries around the globe suspended schools and provided alternative educational methods. And Saudi Arabia is not an exception. This study aims to investigate the situation of Saudi Deaf students in compulsory education during the suspension of schools. The study presents a discussion on the alternative education methods and content provided by the Ministry of Education in Saudi Arabia during this crisis and is followed by individual semi-structured interviews with eighteen teachers for Deaf students. Three categories were formulated: (1) Deaf students' educational status during the suspension of schools (full exclusion); (2) teachers' responses to the exclusion of their students; and (3) reasons for the full exclusion. The findings suggest that governments and educational organisations in Saudi Arabia need to facilitate inclusion practices for Deaf students in alternative educational methods and tools, including distance education.