Comunicative Barriers and Communication Facilitators in Higher Education: Experiences and Perceptions of Students in a Disability Situation and Teachers in the Metropolitan Region of Chile

Abstract

This study aims to characterize the communication barriers experienced by students in a disability situation and understand the perception of teachers about the communication barriers faced by students in a disability situation in university contexts. For this purpose, the study has a qualitative methodological design. The semistructured interview technique was used online, with a sample size of 8 participants in total, comprising an equal number of students in a disability situation and teachers. Both groups were from universities located in the Metropolitan region of Chile. A thematic analysis of the interviews was carried out. The results indicate the presence of physical, psychological, semantic, administrative, and digital communication barriers that affect students' participation and learning in the university environment. Moreover, the study reveals facilitators to mitigate the negative impact of these barriers on
the academic and social dimensions for university students in a disability situation. The study’s findings highlight the urgent necessity to develop facilitators of communicative accessibility in the context of higher education.
This is crucial to promote the full participation of people in a disability situation.