Chapter 2
Review of Related Literature
Access to university is a right for all people; however, access to higher education
for people with disabilities is still a challenge. The present study, based on a systematic
review of the literature, aims to report on the challenges faced by students with disabilities in
accessing and participating in higher education. The systematic review of four databases
resulted in 20 studies published between 2011 and 2021. The results indicate that students
with disabilities face numerous challenges in accessing university education. Based on the
results, strategies are proposed in order to provide equal opportunities and success in higher
education for students with disabilities. Introduction The UNESCO conference in Salamanca
(1994) had an impact not only on educational thought, policy, and practice, but also on
culture. Today, it continues to present an indispensable point of reference for all those
involved in the struggle for inclusive education. This legacy immersed in the digital age is
leading educational institutions and professionals to a profound transformation and a radical
change in their ways of doing, acting, and training. In the framework of the European Higher
Education Area, a more inclusive character is being demanded from the University, as
evidenced in different international declarations. Furthermore, Sustainable Development Goal
(SDG) on education of the European Agenda 2030 calls for ensuring an inclusive and
equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030.
It emphasises the importance of inclusion and equity as the foundation for
quality education and learning. In the case of persons with disabilities, the European Agency
for Special Needs, and Inclusive Education and the United Nations High Commissioner
recognised inclusive education as an opportunity for their empowerment, as well as an
opportunity to remove barriers to learning and participation for all learners .However, at
present, practices of educational exclusion and discrimination are still present in all education
systems, constituting real barriers or obstacles to progress. Conceptualisation The scientific
literature shows that there is a wide range of definitions around access and participation of
students with disabilities in higher education. Thus, according to the World Health
Organisation [6], barriers to inclusion are all those physical, social, and attitudinal factors that
prevent or limit the full realisation of individuals. Authors such as Ainscow refer to them as
obstacles to inclusion that hinder or limit learning, belonging and participation, under equal
conditions, in educational processes. Authors such as Darrow classify barriers in three areas:
organisational, attitudinal, and knowledge barriers. The first ones refer to the way in which
institutions and classes are structured, how the objectives proposed to students with
disabilities are defined, how teaching strategies are used and how classes are managed.
Attitudinal barriers relate to the beliefs and attitudes that teachers may have about educational
services for students with disabilities, including curricular adjustments, interactions with
students, and participation in the institution and community activities. Conversely, aids,
supports, or facilitators are elements of the educational context that contribute to students’
social and educational inclusion in educational contexts.
Within the studies referring to the school environment, Pivik, McComas and
Laflamme identify three aspects to be addressed as facilitators: environmental modifications,
changes in policies, and institutional resources. Regarding environmental modifications, they
consider it important to include technological resources and to adapt the infrastructure to the
needs of the students, and about policies, they recommend educating the population and
making curricular adaptations. On the other hand, participation is a multidimensional concept
made up of three interdependent subdimensions. Firstly, it refers to feeling a sense of
belonging or the perception of emotional well-being resulting from an established social and
academic self-esteem. It also symbolises being part of a peer group, where students are
valued and recognised and where identities are constructed in a positive way and not deficient
or of lesser value than any other student. Finally, it means taking part in the formal and
informal bodies and structures of educational participation. In short, barriers and facilitators
constitute one of the different ways of approaching the inclusion (and exclusion) of people
with disabilities in higher education. Their effects are the result of the convergence between
collective actions, individual actions, and social conditions, and are manifested in different
dimensions of students’ academic and social life.