An Analysis of Infrastructural Support for Students with Disabilities in Selected Universities of Islamabad, Pakistan

Abstract

This research examines how infrastructural facilities are made available to students with disabilities and the efficiency of this process in a sample of public and private universities in the city of Islamabad, Pakistan. Within a sociological context, the study is based on the concepts of accessibility, inclusivity, and social equity in the learning institution. In the present study, a qualitative case study design was utilised to study eight universities that were selected purposefully based on spreadsheet scores indicating their size and specialisation, as well as existing claims of inclusivity and accessibility policies. The study employed a structured observational checklist in the evaluation of the physical infrastructure, a semi-structured key informant interview (KII) with top-level Academia /managers of the institutions, and a focus group discussion (FGD) with students with disabilities to collect in-depth, firsthand data. Thematic analysis demonstrated a significant mismatch between infrastructural provision and accessibility, with many cases showing that accessibility was merely symbolic rather than real. The major themes that emerged from the data were inadequate physical accessibility, inconsistent institutional responses, and poor policy enforcement. The gaps are indicative of the flawed approach to inclusive education, which demonstrates the necessity of a rights-based and student-centred approach to infrastructural planning in higher education institutions. This research contributes to the existing discourse on educational justice by recommending and supporting a holistic and participatory approach to the inclusion of students with disabilities within the tertiary educational system in Pakistan.