DISABILITY, RACE AND ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION

Narratives of survival/live experiences at the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC)

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22409/z0xda433

Abstract

This work explores the survival/live experiences of quota students at the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, examining public policies for higher education access. Despite Brazil's progressive legislation — including the National Policy on Special Education from an Inclusive Education Perspective, Quotas Act, and the Brazilian Law on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, along with student retention policies — the university environment remains permeated by body normativity and ableism. The research draws on student narratives and document analysis, utilizing critical perspectives from Feminist Disability Studies, Decolonial Studies, and Race Studies to analyze the dynamics of "inclusive exclusion" and the intersection between racism and ableism. The narratives demonstrate the ineffectiveness of students retention policies, revealing access fatigue and a lack of institutional care. The study proposes a relational Ethics of Care and Disability Justice as pathways toward full participation, seeking liberating accessibility. It concludes that effective inclusion requires an ethical-relational commitment beyond legislation, promoting a culture that values diversity and the specificities of experiences, aiming for collective emancipation and anti-ableist, emancipatory higher education.

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Author Biographies

  • João Paulo Vasco Avelino, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC)

    Psicólogo, mestre e doutorando em Psicologia Social pela Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC). Pesquisador no campo dos Estudos da Deficiência e das diversidades, é membro do Núcleo de Estudos da Deficiência (NED-UFSC) e do Laboratório de Educação Inclusiva (LEdI-UDESC). É homem surdo que ouve e atua com consultoria em acessibilidade e inclusão, letramento anticapacitista, emancipatório e inclusivo.

  • Gisele O'Dwyer, Sergio Arouca National School of Public Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Pesquisadora da Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública Sergio Arouca da Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (ENSP/Fiocruz) e bolsista de Produtividade em Pesquisa do CNPq. Integra o grupo de pesquisa Políticas Públicas e de Proteção Social.

  • Rose Cler Estivalete Beche, Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (UFSC)

    Graduada em Pedagogia pela Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), mestre em Educação pela UFSC e doutora em Educação pela Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina (UDESC). É professora efetiva da UDESC e pesquisadora do Grupo de Pesquisa Educação, Artes e Inclusão (UDESC) e do Observatório de Políticas Curriculares e Educação Inclusiva (OPEN).

Edição agosto 2026 - Revista Confluências

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Published

2026-10-02

Issue

Vol. 28 No. 2 (2026): Confluências, vol. 28, nº 2

Section

Artigos

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Copyright (c) 2026 João Avelino, Gisele O'Dwyer, Rose Cler Estivalete Beche

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How to Cite

DISABILITY, RACE AND ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION: Narratives of survival/live experiences at the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC). Confluências | Interdisciplinary Review of Sociology and Law, [S. l.], v. 28, n. 2, p. 191–215, 2026. DOI: 10.22409/z0xda433. Disponível em: https://periodicos.uff.br/confluencias/article/view/67942. Acesso em: 13 oct. 2026.