Políticas institucionais de inclusão e os núcleos de acessibilidade: um estudo nas IFES da Bahia (2012-2022)

Abstract

This master's research, conducted within the State, Educational Policies and Management Research Line of the Graduate Program in Education at the Federal University of Uberlândia, is part of a broader research project developed by the Research Group on Policies and Practices in Special Education and Educational Inclusion (GEPEPES). This basic research investigated the role of Accessibility Centers in Federal Higher Education Institutions (FHEIs) in the state of Bahia, Brazil. The guiding research question was: based on the work of Accessibility Centers, is it possible to state that, between 2012 and 2022, the Federal Higher Education Institutions in Bahia developed institutional policies for the inclusion of individuals who are the target audience of special education? The general objective was to understand the extent to which these institutional mechanisms have contributed to the development of inclusion policies for special education target groups in higher education, through a qualitative approach grounded in Foucauldian perspectives on power, discourse, and governmentality. Accordingly, the study sought to reflect on the extent to which the activities of Accessibility Centers in Federal Higher Education Institutions in Bahia have contributed to the establishment of institutional inclusion policies for individuals within the scope of special education. The specific objectives were: to identify the normative, conceptual, and operational frameworks guiding the functioning of Accessibility Centers in Bahia's FHEIs; to analyze the strategies adopted by these centers to promote access, retention, and academic success among students with disabilities; and to assess the extent to which their actions have contributed to the consolidation of consistent, articulated, and sustainable institutional policies aimed at inclusion in higher education. For data organization and analysis, the study employed content analysis procedures based on Bardin's methodological framework. The findings indicate that Accessibility Centers play a significant role in promoting access, retention, and academic success among students who are part of the target audience of special education. At the same time, they operate as mechanisms of governmentality, producing norms, behaviors, and expectations aligned with an institutional rationality that articulates inclusion, performance, and productivity.