EDUCATIONAL ACCESS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: AN INCLUSION STUDY OF DISABILITY IN INDIAN HIGHER EDUCATION.
Keywords:
inclusive education, sustainable development, disability, higher education, mixed method, RPWD act 2016, SDGs, accessibility, India.,,Abstract
Inclusive higher education is a pivotal point to equitable and sustainable development in
India. Although the legislative frameworks like the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act,
2016 and the National Education Policy 2020 focus on inclusive access, the access among
persons with disabilities (PWD’s) in higher education is still very disproportionate. The
research takes a mixed-method design that combines secondary data analysis based on
national data and primary surveys data obtained with students with disabilities in some of the
sampled institutions of higher learning.
The study looks at the trends in enrolment, the distribution of disability, barriers to
accessibility, the preparedness of the institution, and the associations of sustainable
development. Results show that there occur great gaps between the policy intention and
realities of implementation. Primary data indicate evidence of infrastructural gaps, lack of
assistive technologies and faculty sensitization. The paper has concluded that inclusive
higher education is not only a welfare measure but a developmental investment that is in
tandem with sustainable development goals 4 and 10. The recommendation of policies
highlights the adoption of universal designs, enhanced surveillance, institutional
responsibility, and accessibility structures supported by technology.
