MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR CREATING ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE HIGHER EDUCATION CAMPUSES: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVE ON UNIVERSAL DESIGN, GOVERNANCE, TECHNOLOGY AND POLICY
Keywords:
Accessibility, Higher Education, Universal Design, Inclusive Education, Governance, Management Strategies, Disability InclusionAbstract
Accessibility and inclusion have emerged as critical imperatives in higher education governance globally. Universities are increasingly mandated to provide equitable educational opportunities to students with diverse needs, including persons with disabilities. While international and national legal frameworks have evolved significantly, practical implementation within higher education institutions (HEIs) remains uneven and fragmented. Accessibility is frequently relegated to a matter of physical infrastructure or statutory compliance, rather than being treated as a core institutional management responsibility that encompasses governance, strategic planning, digital systems, teaching–learning processes, and student services.
Drawing upon ongoing doctoral research titled “Management Strategies for Creating Accessible and Inclusive Higher Education Campuses: A Universal Design Perspective,” this paper examines the conceptual foundations of accessibility and inclusive education, highlighting the acute need for a strategic approach to institutional management. The study reviews major international and Indian policy developments—including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, the National Education Policy 2020, and recent statutory accessibility guidelines. Identifying critical gaps in existing scholarship, the paper proposes a mixed-method research design to investigate institutional practices across selected HEIs.
Ultimately, this paper conceptualizes accessibility as a multidisciplinary concern situated at the intersection of management, disability studies, architecture, information and communication technology (ICT), public policy, law, and education. It proposes the development of a Strategic Accessibility Management Framework grounded in the principles of Universal Design and inclusive governance to drive sustainable organizational transformation.
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