Proposal of a model of inclusion and equity in university education, based on experiences of students with disabilities

Abstract

The school experiences of students with disabilities are an effective information resource for educational systems to become more inclusive and equitable. The objective of this work was to detect school supports, barriers and inclusion needs of students with disabilities at the Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Victoria campus, to propose a more inclusive and equitable educational model, based on their experiences. The research design included a qualitative modality based on case studies with an explanatory perspective through grounded theory. In depth interviews were carried out with 10 students with disabilities and 10 teachers who taught classes to students with this condition. The results reflected the presence of school support in personal and social attitude, in scholarships, in support between teachers, curricular adaptations and learning strategies. School barriers were found in physical accessibility and academic structure, as well as a discriminatory attitude, ignorance of types of disabilities and their treatment, and the absence of institutional strengthening for inclusion. In addition, they showed that the University is on the road to inclusion, but requires strengthening actions for the transit, permanence and educational achievement of students with disabilities. The institutional inclusion and equity model needs to reinforce at least 8 elements to improve its efficiency: clarity in the concept, culture and inclusive spaces, flexible curriculum, teacher training, shared experiences between teachers and best practices, supervision of participation, evaluation of the educational achievement and links with the labor sector. The foregoing will make it possible to assess the diversity of needs of university students with disabilities, to grant them institutional strengthening that provides them with greater educational inclusion.