Systemic barriers persist in higher education despite policy shifts: How neoliberal metrics and institutional inertia exclude disabled students
Original framing: “Why universities still struggle to make degrees accessible for disabled students” — Phys.org
Research in disability studies and universal design demonstrates that accessibility is not a binary (accessible/inaccessible) but a spectrum shaped by environmental and institutional barriers. Studies show that accommodations like extended exam time or assistive technologies are effective but underutilized due to stigma and resource constraints. The scientific consensus supports the social model of disability, which frames barriers as systemic rather than inherent to the individual. However, universities often prioritize cost-saving measures over evidence-based accessibility reforms.
The struggle to make higher education accessible for disabled students is not a failure of awareness or goodwill but a structural feature of neoliberal universities, where ableism is embedded in curriculum design, assessment methods, and resource allocation.
The historical legacies of eugenics and colonial education systems continue to shape modern policies, while indigenous knowledge systems that frame disability as a communal responsibility are systematically erased. Marginalized voices—disabled students of color, LGBTQ+ students, and those from the Global South—are excluded from policy discussions, perpetuating exclusion under the guise of 'inclusion.' Future solutions must center decolonization, universal design, and equity-centered accountability, but these require dismantling the profit-driven metrics that prioritize productivity over people. The path forward lies in disability-led co-design, where those most affected by exclusion are empowered to reshape the systems that oppress them.