THE CHALLENGE OF INCLUSION IN HIGHER EDUCATION: EXPERIENCES OF STUDENTS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT

Abstract

This paper analyzes the point of view of students with visual impairment on their admission and permanence at the Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), Brazil, and seeks to reflect on the inclusion process experienced by them. This is a qualitative investigation which was carried out through semi-structured interviews with eight students with visual impairment enrolled in different courses of this institution. The analysis of the collected material demonstrated that access to and permanence in Higher Education were characterized by difficulties related to physical barriers, availability, and access to didactic, pedagogical, and technological resources, as well as attitudinal barriers, which exacerbate the academic performance of students with visual impairment. Therefore, the educational inclusion, which is being built in UFBA, requires the involvement and participation of the entire academic community so that it is actually implemented.