Vivências acadêmicas de discentes com deficiência na Universidade Federal de Sergipe

Abstract

Introduction: Academic experiences in higher education are relevant indicators of students’ adaptation, persistence, and academic success. Students with disabilities may experience these academic trajectories as permeated by obstacles due to institutional, pedagogical, and attitudinal barriers. Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze the academic experiences of students with disabilities in comparison to students without disabilities at the Federal University of Sergipe (UFS). Method: Observational, cross-sectional, exploratory study with a mixed-methods approach, involving 63 students regularly enrolled at UFS (30 with disabilities and 33 without disabilities). A convenience sample was used. Variables of interest included the dimensions of the Academic Experiences Questionnaire – short version (AEQ-SV), sociodemographic characteristics, indicators of institutional support, and self-reported intention to drop out of the program. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, applying Student’s t test or the Mann–Whitney U test according to data distribution, and the chi-square test to compare proportions, adopting a 5% significance level. Open-ended responses from students with disabilities were analyzed using a phenomenological approach. Results: Students with disabilities showed higher mean scores in the Personal and Career dimensions of the AEQ-SV; however, they presented significantly lower mean scores in the Interpersonal and Institutional dimensions compared to students without disabilities. The proportion of students who reported having considered dropping out of their program was significantly higher among students with disabilities (73%) than among those without disabilities (33%). Qualitative analysis revealed academic experiences marked by feelings of invisibility, perceived lack of institutional support, and recurrent encounters with attitudinal, pedagogical, and architectural barriers. Discussion and Conclusion: The findings indicate differences in academic experiences between students with and without disabilities, particularly in the interpersonal and institutional domains. The results highlight weaknesses in university inclusion processes and reinforce the need for cross-cutting institutional actions, such as continuing education for faculty and staff, strengthening student assistance and mental health policies, and systematically addressing attitudinal barriers, with the aim of promoting a truly accessible and inclusive university culture