EQUITY, ACCESS AND PARTICIPATION DISCOURSES
IS IT A JOURNEY OF HOPE FOR STUDENTS WITH
DISABILITIES IN HIGHER EDUCATION ????
presented by
ROSH SUBRAYEN
PERSONAL CONCERNS
 POSITIONALITY
 ANECDOTAL RHETORIC
 HUMAN RIGHTS, SOCIAL JUSTICE
CONCERNS
EQUITY, ACCESS AND PARTICIPATION DISCOURSES
• DEFINITIONS
• DIFFERENTIATED NUANCES
[Thomas,2002; Howell,2006; Hurdarto, 2007]
• THE FOURTH IMPERATIVE
• DEBATE by Shavit, Arum, Gamoran and Menahem (2007)
• MY ARGUMENT – absence of clear definitions
• COMPLEXITIES – interchangeable use of the terms equity
and equality/pluralistic meanings and interpretations
• SA HIGHER EDUCATION FRAMEWORKS
• SUCCESSFUL OUTCOMES – Akoojee and Nkomo (2007)
IF THIS IS THE JOURNEY OF HOPE FOR
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN HIGHER
EDUCATION?
• What causes inequities and why does it exist?
• Why would inequities be located in a
transformed higher education structure that is
supposed to be fair and equitable?
• How would it be possible to advance an
equity, access and participation agenda in
higher education for students with disabilities,
with a silence on quality as an imperative?
EQUITY, ACCESS AND PARTICIPATION DISCOURSES FOR
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN HIGHER EDUCATION
• POSITIVE OUTCOMES – Gertzel and and
Thoma (2009); Gibson (2012) and Opini (2012)
• NEGATIVE OUTCOMES – Vickerman and
Blundell (2010) ….”disabled people are being
marginalised by higher education who are not
sufficiently adopting positive strategies to
consult disabled students when implementing
policies and practices to break down barriers
to study” (p. 22)
CULTURE OF SILENCE – Paulo Friere (1985)
CHALLENGES - Opini (2011); Peterson (2006); Moswela,
Ontretse and Mukhopadhyay (2011); Subrayen (2011);
Kasiram and Subrayen (2013);
Howell (2006 and Ntombela and Subrayen (2013).
STREAMLINING DISABILITY
OBSTACLES - Bourdieu’s (1990) capitals
HIGHER EDUCATION NORMALCY - Clancy and
Goastellic (2007)
MISCONCEPTIONS/BENEVOLENCE/CONTRADICTIONS Matshedisho (2007)
POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORKS FOR
STUDENTS WITH DISBILITIES IN HIGHER EDUCATION
• UN Convention of Human Rights (1948)
• UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities (2006)
• USA – Americans with Disabilities Act (1990)
• UK – Disability Discrimination Act (2005)
• Constitution of the republic of South Africa
(1996)
• Education White Paper 3: A Programme for the
Transformation of Higher Education (1997)
• National Plan for Higher Education (2001)
ACCESS & PARTICIPATION FOR STUDENTS WITH
DISABILITIES IN HIGHER EDUCATION
KEY EMPIRICAL STUDIES
CURRICULUM ACCESS & SUPPORT
SOCIAL INTEGRATION
INTERSECTIONS OF GENDER AND DISABILITY
CURRICULUM ACCESS & SUPPORT
• - Moswela and Mukhopadhyay (2011); University of
Botswana, focus group discussion, varying disabilities: poor
academic performance as a result of non-visibility of
institutional support.
• - Madriaga, Hanson, Kay and Walker ( 2011)- UK;
quantitative study, poor curriculum support eg. Specialized
technology, architectural barriers, prints inaccessibility.
• - Morley (2010); University in Tanzania, physical
inaccessibility. Other qualitative studies by Kasiram and
Subrayen (2013) in South Africa and Opini (2011) at Kenyan
higher education document the same. Resulting in nonattendance at lectures, inability to use library facilities and
group study
CURRICULUM ACCESS & SUPPORT
• - Absence of orientation and training on the use
of specialized technology-University of Botswana
• - Unique findings relevant to the South African
context-challenges remain different-studies by
Kasiram and Subrayen (2013); Ntombela and
Subrayen (2013).
• Subrayen (2011)- notion of ‘inclusive
discrimination” ; “automatic othering”;
confinement; lack of agency
• Goodley (2007)- a call for new pedagogical
thinking and orientation
SOCIAL INTEGRATION
• Gibson (2006; 2012) UK qualitative studies –social
integration lead to negative self image, exclusion’s from
group study, negative teaching and learning experiences
with peers.
• Peterson (2006) USA study-taking test apart from peersstigma, social isolation, loneliness, anxiety, otherization;
Bell (2013) in South Africa; Morley (2010) – two country
university study
• Dominelli (2002) and Geoffman (1963)-their sociological
argument
• Dominelli (2002) this social isolation promotes othering and
the “them and us” dyad; disability equates being and
outsider; inferior-results in automatic exclusions.
INTERSECTIONS OF GENDER &
DISBILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION
• Empirical studies document the feminisation of teaching
and learning is accompanied by complexities and tensions
• Peterson (2006), USA and Moswela, Ontiretse and
Mukhopadhyay (2011)-University of Botswana-females
with disabilities constrained/lack agency in course module
selection –humanities programs/basic maths literacy.
• African countries-Botswana and Kenya-notion that females
with disabilities- barren and asexual; higher education
attainment means a deviation of the traditional role of
women in African countries.
• Morley, Leach and Lugg’s (2009) argument regarding above.
INTERSECTIONS OF GENDER &
DISBILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION
• Differential treatment regarding gender designation-Peterson
(2006)
• Halder’s (2009) regarding the enunciation of women with
disabilities in higher education.
• Feminisation of disability-Kasiram and Subrayen (2011)-sexual
exploitation, lack of agency in safe sexual practices, oppression of
females with disabilities by able bodied females in the context of
higher education. Opini (2011)-sexual exploitation leading to social
and learning isolation thus inhibiting access and participation to
teaching and learning.
• Internationally and in South Africa-clear silence on scholarship on
masculinities with disabilities in higher education.
CONCLUSION
• Challenge higher education policy frameworks- What impact are
the strategic policy reforms and curriculum development having on
power distribution in the gendered disability knowledge economy?
• Equity, access and part8icipation-recognised as international policy
priorities.
• Redirect academic attention to disability in higher education
• The question that I want to ask is: Can higher education write itself
a ne2w story based more closely upon the deeper nuances of the
lived experiences of students with disabilities in higher education?
• Matshedisho (2007) new strategic stand alone policy for disability in
higher education.
• Dr Blade Nzimande’s articulation on this stand alone disability
policy for higher education.
THANKS FOR LISTENING!
REFERENCES
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Akoojee, S. &Nkomo, M. (2007). Access and quality in South African higher education: The twin challenges
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Bell, D. (2013). Investigating teaching and learning support for students with hearing impairments at a
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Bourdieu, P. (1990). The logic of practice. Stanford, California: Stanford university press.
Clancy, P. & Goastellic, G. (2007). Exploring access and equity in higher education: Policy and
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Dominelli, L. (2002). Anti Oppressive Social Work Theory. Basingstoke: Palgrave, MacMillian
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REFERENCES
• Matshedisho, K.R. (2007). The challenge of real rights for
disabled students in South Africa. South African journal of
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• Morley, L. (2010). Disabled students in higher education in
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REFERENCES
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Ntombela, S. & Subrayen, R. (2013). Access challenges for students with
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Subrayen, R. (2011). Social exclusion among students with visual impairments at
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Vickerman, P. & Blundell, M. (2010). Hearing the voices of disabled students in
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