The study examines inclusive policies included in the Brazilian education from the 1990s to students with special educational needs (SEN). It performs a brief presentation of these policies in basic education and, more specifically, in higher education. It discusses the main legal provisions concerning the inclusion of students in higher education, as well as some implications for Public Universities. It refers to the trajectory of the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), showing the main legal provisions and institutional actions that supported the implementation of the inclusion of students with SEN at the University. Seven students were interviewed (three with blindness, two with physical disabilities, one with multiple disabilities and one with deafness), in seven courses in the UFPR, in order to know the trajectory of these students at the University and the institutional actions related to their process of inclusion. After qualitative data analysis the study draws the following lines of analysis: profile of students, enrolling and staying in the University, inclusive policies at the University. The collected data showed the experiences and strategies developed by students to stay in higher education and the importance of support and resources to enroll and stay in the University. Finally, it highlights the importance of implementing effective policies to ensure the inclusion of those students and the university's role in defending the rights of students with disabilities.
inclusive policies; inclusive education; higher education; students with disabilities; special educational needs
