UL Makes History!

UL Makes History!

…14 Visually Impaired (Blind) Write Entrance

The University of Liberia (UL) has for the first time, administered an entrance exam to 14 visually impaired (blind) persons for the undergraduate programs.

The blind candidates will be using the braille manual to write the exam.

Braille is a tactile writing system for blind, and partially sighted people, using raised dots to represent letters and numbers. It is a crucial tool for literacy, education, and social inclusion, allowing individuals with visual impairments to read and write using their fingertips, according to the United Nations.

The 14 visually impaired candidates formed part of more than 13,000 candidates sitting the 2025 UL entrance for undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools.

The candidates sat the entrance at Lake View on UL Fendall campus in Louisiana on Saturday, July 12, 2025.

According to a release, this milestone development has widened the inclusive educational agenda of UL, and the nation as a whole, to leave no one behind, regardless of their visual or physical conditions.

The UL Resource Center for Support Services and Alternative Learning headed by Mrs. Saydah Williamson Taylor, is in charge of students with special needs, including the visually impaired candidates.

To get the critical support that contributed to making the entrance for the visually impaired persons possible, the UL Resource Center earlier engaged University Innovation Pod (UniPod) Executive Director, Dr. Michael Flowers, concerning the challenges visually impaired persons faced in enrolling at the UL.

Inclusivity, being one of the goals of the President of the University of Liberia, Dr. Layli Maparyan, approved the plan that enabled the combined efforts of the Resource Center, and UL-based UniPod- Liberia to facilitate the entrance examination to the visually impaired candidates.

While administering the entrance exam, University Innovation Pod Director, Ms. Stephina T. Warner, described the exercise as historic to the credit of Dr. Maparyan’s goals for the university to get everybody inclusive.

In preparation for the entrance, Ms. Warner said, they trained facilitators; gave them the technical know-how as to provide support for the candidates.

“So, we brought in the facilitators. I think they’ve been here since Monday, July 14. They’ve been going through all of the equipment and everything; how to facilitate these students; when it comes to the questions and the answers; the gadgets, and equipment that they need,” said Ms. Warner.

“I think it means, this is a whole new achievement, especially for Dr. Maparyan,” she added.

For Mrs. Saydah Williamson Taylor, Director of the Resource Center for Support Services and Alternative Learning: “This means a lot for the country, since the UL is the light in darkness, and a state-run institution.”

“I cannot say I am overjoyed; I am in tears with joy as my staffs are jubilating. We’re happy that the administration saw a reason to support this program by including those physical-challenged prospective students,” said Mrs. Taylor.

“I think from today, can we really serve this population, as we sharpen our tools, and improve our ideas on how to be more inclusive; how to educate our students with visual impairment. We also have some students with hearing impediments, dwarfism, autism, and the list goes on,” she added.

When these candidates are successful, Mrs. Taylor said, they will sit in the same classrooms, and take the same lessons as those who are not visually impaired. However, she noted that instructors may have to give their notes to the Resource Center that will be written in Braille.

Mr. Jackson Suah, a visually impaired with a Master’s Degree in Education said, the dream of most of his colleagues, who have waited so long to have access to the university degree are now relieved of from their long-waiting.

“We must say thanks and appreciation to UL President, and then the authorities at UniPod and the Office of Students with Special Needs and Alternative Education,” Mr. Suah added.

He hailed the UL authorities for ‘working tirelessly’ behind the scene to see that their dream become real.