I represent something much bigger than myself": Educational trajectories of students with visual and/or hearing disabilities from the Darcy Ribeiro campus of the University of Brasília
Education; Inclusion; Human rights; Educational trajectory; Visual impairment; Hearing impairment.
The present research aims to understand, through the narratives of students with visual and/or hearing disabilities from the Darcy Ribeiro campus of the University of Brasília, how the relationships between education, inclusion, and human rights unfolded in their trajectories in both basic and higher education. A qualitative research method was employed, using semistructured interviews with three students: one with deafblindness, one with visual impairment, and one with hearing impairment. The interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis, grounded in Urie Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological Model. Some questions remain to be addressed, such as: What support did these students receive during basic and higher education? What obstacles did they encounter throughout their journeys? How do these students' experiences relate to the process of inclusion and education as a human right? What improvements can be incorporated into the inclusion process? The relevance of this study stems from the need to give prominence to people with disabilities and value their personal experiences to better understand the educational landscape in dialogue with inclusion and human rights. The narratives revealed shortcomings in the inclusion and human rights process, the inapplicability of inclusive practices in everyday school and academic settings, and the importance of understanding concepts of disability for self-recognition as subjects of rights. Based on this research, an extension event was proposed, aiming to improve the educational process through lectures and workshops addressing topics related to inclusive education, accessibility, and human rights.