Inclusion Programs in Higher Education: a Hearing Impairment Perspective

Abstract

Since the enactment of Law 20.422 (2010), universities have developed admission systems that guarantee equal opportunities and social inclusion of people with disabilities, based on the principles of independent living, accessibility and universal design, intersectoriality, participation and social dialogue.

The following research analyzes the implementation of university inclusion programs aimed at Deaf people, from the point of view of managers and students who participate in them. Its design is qualitative, cross-sectional, with a phenomenological approach. Four managers and three deaf students participated, corresponding to the total population of students of the two higher education institutions that participated in the study. The managers and students answered a semistructured interview that addressed the topics of: commitment to learning, aca-
demic leadership, program management and disability support. The results show a high awareness of the importance of inclusion programs that have an impact on
institutional culture, a passive role of administrators and an attribution of greater responsibility to teachers regarding the academic success of deaf people; signifi-
cant divergences are observed in all areas of the study between the discourses given by administrators and students. The results are discussed in the light of the
literature and measures are proposed to contribute to overcoming the difficulties present in the initiatives that seek the inclusion of students with profound hearing
impairment.