Inclusão da pessoa com deficiência na educação superior: o comitê de inclusão e acessibilidade da UFPB para o acesso e a permanência

Abstract

The theme of Inclusive Education has provoked studies and debates about the access, permanence, and success of people with disabilities in Higher Education Institutions because of public policies for social inclusion. Among these policies, the “Incluir” Program stands out, which guides the creation of Accessibility Centers in Federal Institutions of Higher Education as a sector to promote inclusion. When considering inclusion policies in higher education, the study seeks to identify the actions of the Comitê de Inclusão e Acessibilidade (CIA), its role in the inclusion and permanence of individuals with disabilities at the Universidade Federal da Paraíba (UFPB). The research has an exploratory character, with a qualitative approach through the case study method, whose locus of study is the Inclusion and Accessibility Committee of UFPB. For data collection, bibliographical sources, survey of scientific productions, online documentary research on official websites, semi-structured interviews and questionnaire application were used. Twenty-seven (27) active students assisted by the CIA answered the questionnaire, and 05 (five) managers who make up the CIA answered the interview. The perception of students with disabilities was portrayed in relation to the level of satisfaction and attitudes towards obstacles, from admission to completion of the course. Data indicate that barriers are present and perceived differently, depending on the type of disability of each person; the findings suggest that inclusive policies should be designed, institutionalized, and implemented by the UFPB's Inclusion and Accessibility Committee, aiming at covering everyone, since in an inclusive environment there is no room for distinction of any kind. The study showed that breaking the exclusion paradigm is not restricted to what is provided for in legal documents, it requires commitment and sensitivity to the cause of the person with a disability. In this context, it was possible to infer that, despite the challenges, impasses and tensions, the CIA, through its collaborative team, has managed to articulate concrete and purposeful actions, with a view to eliminating obstacles or barriers, especially those of an architectural, pedagogical, and attitudinal nature in the academic routine of UFPB.