This empirical study is conducted to highlight the kinds of barriers faced by students with
disabilities enrolled in different undergraduate colleges of University of Delhi and their
role in determining the level of academic engagement of such students. Barriers to access
higher education stem from family level characteristics as well as college and University
level characteristics. This analysis is based on the survey conducted from April to July in
the year 2014, where 168 students with disabilities enrolled across 35 colleges were
interviewed. Main findings from data analysis based on descriptive and inferential
statistics, using ANOVA tests and multiple linear regression model estimation reveal the
following: (i) Limited access to information and services among students with disabilities
pose a significant barrier to access and utilization of the facilities and provisions already
in place for such students, and (ii) The presence of a conducive and sensitive academic
environment in college significantly enhances the level of academic engagement of
students with disabilities. The study essentially reveals that attitudinal barriers posed by
the insensitive behavior of students and staff members in colleges towards students with
disabilities are more detrimental than physical barriers to access. The study thus
highlights the need for colleges to focus more on eliminating the invisible behavioural
barriers by adopting visible sensitization strategies.
More at: https://journals.du.ac.in/ugresearch/pdf/Shalini%20Saksena%2020.pdf