“Where the Path Goes through a Tree”: Failure of Ensure Spatial Accessibility and Instructional Inclusivity in Higher Education in India

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 3:45 pm - Gold 3
  In Roundtable Session: The Architecture of Accessibility in the Academy: Structures, Experiences, and the Spaces Between

Abstract

This qualitative study examines the lived experiences of visually impaired individuals as they navigate higher education in India. Focusing on spatial accessibility and instructional inclusivity in colleges and universities, the research investigates how these factors shape academic engagement, performance, retention and long-term participation in academia. Drawing on in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with five participants the study explores how universities conceptualize and implement inclusion/exclusion for disabled people. Using critical disability theory and intersectional frameworks, this research analyzes how accessibility is experienced through the interwoven lenses of caste, class, gender, and disability. By situating these experiences within broader discourses on educational equity and social justice, this study contributes to global conversations on inclusive education, universal design and global south.

Author

• Arpita Sarker, University of Iowa