Experiences of Students with Disabilities in Indian Higher Education: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study

Abstract

Using interpretative phenomenological approach, this article aims to explore the experiences of students with disabilities within the context of their higher education in India. The study aims to understand the question of inclusive education of the disabled students and discusses the challenges and opportunities these students face within universities. The findings are drawn from qualitative data collected from 24 participants using semi-structured interviews. The results revealed complex accounts on specific issues such as perceptions about inclusive education, infrastructure accessibility, physical access, institutional support networks and issues of teacher’s attitude towards learning. The findings reveal that disabled students face lot of challenges while accessing higher education in Indian universities. We also found that students with disabilities are capable of dialogue about the challenges faced by proposing suggestions/alternatives for the future development of their education. In conclusion, the findings suggest that to be inclusive, institutions need to reconsider and reframe their inclusive policies and practices and eliminate the barriers that hinder the participation and learning of students at the university level.