Contribuições dos programas de apoio para inclusão no ensino superior: analisando as vozes de jovens universitários com deficiência

Abstract

The inclusion of people with disabilities in Brazilian higher education has been a relevant topic in educational policies, especially after the implementation of legal frameworks such as the Federal Constitution (BRAZIL, 1988), the INCLUIR program (BRAZIL, 2005), and the Brazilian Law for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (Law No. 13.146/2015). Despite legislative advances, challenges regarding the permanence of students with disabilities in universities persist, highlighting the need for institutional actions that promote accessibility in a broad sense, encompassing pedagogical, communicational, and attitudinal aspects. In this context, support programs for students with disabilities stand out, established in some Brazilian universities with the purpose of offering academic support through the accompaniment of peers who are also university students. This Undergraduate Thesis aims to identify the contributions of Support Programs for Students with Disabilities in the processes of retention and completion of higher education. To achieve this, it retraces much of the historical path of education for students with disabilities, while also engaging with Brazilian legislation and more recent studies on inclusion and accessibility in higher education. The research adopts a qualitative approach, carried out through the analysis of reports from students with disabilities extracted from a publicly accessible video. The video records a virtual meeting that took place as part of the training activities for student supporters at the Federal University of Paraíba. The reports highlight the main barriers experienced during undergraduate studies, reinforcing the relevance of support programs in minimizing these obstacles. The results point to the predominance of ableism, as well as attitudinal barriers and lack of empathy as the main challenges experienced by the subjects of this study, who, in turn, emphasize the importance of a support network that, acting as scholarship holders or volunteers, has proven to be indispensable in the retention process. Furthermore, it is expected that the results of this research will contribute to future studies, promoting the appreciation of support programs for inclusion and the training of professionals who are more sensitive to diversity.