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.
