Núcleo de acessibilidade da UFU e serviço social: políticas e práticas institucionais de inclusão educacional

Abstract

This study is part of the Research Line on State, Policies, and Educational Management of the Graduate Program in Education at the Federal University of Uberlândia (PPGED/UFU), and its object of investigation is the institution’s Accessibility Center. The research aims to analyze the context of the creation, implementation, and functioning of the UFU Accessibility Center between 2012 and 2022, highlighting its role in promoting the retention of students with disabilities in higher education, as well as the role of Social Work in this space. The relevance of the study is anchored in the growing demand for inclusion policies within Brazilian Federal Institutions of Higher Education (IFES) and in the need to understand how such policies are effectively implemented in the university’s daily practices, particularly through institutional centers dedicated to accessibility. The study adopts a qualitative approach, based on documental research and semi-structured interviews with professionals working in the UFU Accessibility Center, including social workers and coordinators. The documental analysis includes legislation, internal university regulations, institutional reports, and documents that supported the creation and development of the center over the past decade. The interviews provide insight into the perceptions of those involved in daily inclusion practices and the challenges faced in consolidating an effective institutional accessibility policy. Grounded in the theoretical-methodological framework of the human sciences applied to education, and anchored in a critical and ethical perspective of knowledge production, this research recognizes education as a social practice and a human right. Thus, the study reaffirms its commitment to building a democratic, plural, and accessible public university, in line with the principles of inclusion. As a result, the research highlights the significant role played by the UFU Accessibility Center in developing institutional strategies aimed at removing various types of barriers. Social Work emerges as a key area in articulating intersectoral policies and responding to the needs of students with disabilities, contributing to qualified retention and the strengthening of a more inclusive university culture. Nevertheless, the institutional advances achieved in recent years reflect significant efforts toward university transformation, although important challenges remain, particularly regarding the continuing training of staff and the expansion of accessibility actions across all dimensions of academic life.