O processo de construção da Política de Acessibilidade e Inclusão na Universidade Federal do Rio Grande

Abstract

Ensuring the rights for people with disabilities is of the utmost importance to building a just society, that guarantees human rights and democracy. However, this matter continues to lack prioritization by both governments and public organizations. For a subject to be considered on the agenda and become public policy, a complex process of competing for the attention of decision-makers is required. Once this stage has been achieved, the matter becomes recognized as a problem that needs action. Considering this, the present study analyzed how the Policy of Accessibility and Inclusion was constructed of the Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG). The method applied to approach this problem was the use of semi-structured interviews with members of the Accessibility and Inclusion Commission and those of the university community that are within this context. Additionally, this study also reviewed documents issued by FURG, as well as relevant legislation. Based on the findings, there appeared to be na ongoing issue regarding the lack of inclusion and accessibility policies at FURG, seen among the rising number of students with disabilities, especially within the past Five years. This scenario led to a significant increase in demands for specialized services and in crises stemming from the lack of accessibility. The university pointed to the development of the Accessibility and Inclusion Policy as the solution to resolve this situation. Another aspect highlighted by the interviewees was that the university's senior administrators were supportive of the agenda, which decisively influenced the political stream. Therefore, this study shows the confluence of the three streams (problem, solution, and political), as established by the Multiple Streams Model (Kingdon, 1984; 2014), along with the occurrence of a window of opportunity that resulted in a favorable scenario for the construction of an institutional policy at FURG.