BARRIERS AND ACCESS STRATEGIES IN THE TRAJECTORIES OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES (PWD) IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A READING BASED ON THE CONCEPT OF TERRITORIALITIES

ABSTRACT

This article aims to understand the trajectories built by persons with disabilities (PWD) in the development of undergraduate courses, as it analyzes barriers to accessibility, strategies for access, and evaluation of institutional actions for inclusion. It presents the results of a qualitative descriptive study carried out through narrative interviews with eight students from two universities in the eastern region of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The narratives produced by the participants show that, although both universities have inclusion centers and implement actions towards accessibility, architectural, pedagogical and attitudinal barriers persist that hinder the implementation of effective inclusion policies. In this context, the research also reveals that students with disabilities often take responsibility for informing people of their needs and proposing solutions to situations where there are accessibility barriers, and it shows that professors are not adequately prepared to teach PWD as well. The study was carried out from an interdisciplinary approach, through dialogue between inclusive education and territorial studies, and the processes experienced by the students were analyzed from the perspective of the construction of territorialities. Based on this framework, it was concluded that the condition of PWD in Higher Education corresponds to that of foreign territorialities that advance in the confrontation of barriers and lead to the crossing of borders.

KEYWORDS:
Special Education; Persons with disability; Higher Education.