The University of Liberia (UL) has administered an entrance exam to 13 visually impaired persons for undergraduate programs, the first time in the university’s history.
The candidates sat the entrance at Lake View on the UL Fendall campus in Louisiana on Saturday, July 12, 2025.
One additional candidate was scheduled to sit the UL Aptitude Test for the Graduate and Professional Schools on Monday, July 14.
This milestone has widened the inclusive educational agenda of the University of
Liberia, and the nation as a whole, to leave no one behind, regardless of their visual or physical conditions.
The Resource Center for Support Services and Alternative Learning at the University of Liberia, headed by Saydah Williamson Taylor, is in charge of students with special needs, including the visually impaired candidates and UL students with various disabilities.
To get the critical support that contributed to making the entrance for the visually impaired persons possible, the UL Resource Center earlier engaged the University Innovation Pod (UniPod) Executive Director Dr. Michael Flowers concerning the challenges visually impaired persons faced in enrolling at 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 of the visually impaired candidates.
During the entrance on Saturday, Stephina T. Warner, Director, University Innovation Pod, stated that this is one of Dr. Maparyan’s goals for the university aimed at getting everybody inclusive.
In preparation for the entrance, Ms. Warner disclosed that they trained facilitators, giving them the technical know-how on how to provide support for the candidates.
“So we brought in the facilitators. I think they’ve been here since Monday. They’ve been going through all of the equipment and everything, how to facilitate these students, like when it comes to the questions and the answers and the gadgets and equipment that they need,” said Ms. Warner.
“I think it means this is a whole new achievement, especially for the President of the University of Liberia,” she added.
Mrs. Saydah Williamson Taylor, Director of the Resource Center for Support Services and Alternative Learning, stated that this means a lot for Liberia, since the University of Liberia is the light in the darkness, and a premier university for the country.
“I can’t say I am overjoyed. I am in tears. My staff are jumping up. We’re happy that administration saw a reason to support this and let us try,” said Mrs. Taylor.
“I think from today, our fear of, can we really serve this population, will reduce as we sharpen our tools and our ideas on how to be more inclusive, and how to educate our students with visual impairment, out of hearing, physical, dualism, vinylism, and the list goes on,” she added.
When these candidates are successful, Mrs. Taylor explained that 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 to ensure that they are in Braille.
The 13 visually impaired candidates formed part of more than 13,000 candidates sitting at the 2025 UL entrance for undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools.
According to Jackson Suah, the dream of most of the candidates who have waited so long to have access to the university was made possible by the President of the University of Liberia.
“We must say thanks and appreciation to the president and then the authorities at UniPod and the Office of Students with Special Needs and Alternative Education,” Mr. Suah continued.
He hailed the University Authorities for working tirelessly behind the scenes to see this dream become a reality today.
