Barriers and facilitators of access to higher education in a weakly institutionalised context: perceptions of disabled students

Disability and Society. 2024. Vol. 39. No. 9. P. 2258–2280.

Sergey Malinovskiy, Shibanova E., Movkebayeva Z.

This research investigates the barriers and facilitators of access to higher education for disabled students in Kazakhstan, based on 23 biographical-narrative interviews with undergraduate students. Despite the broad regulatory framework, support institutions for disabled persons are not sufficiently enforced and are not internalised in regular practice in Kazakhstan. Students with disabilities are unaware of actual barriers, universities’ support services and infrastructural capacity. They make a loosely informed choice of the first safe option, as the territorial proximity and opportunity to receive a state grant are the principal priorities. In the context of weakly institutionalised post-secondary transition, interpersonal relationships and self-determination are the key facilitators. Role models of significant others and assistance of relatives and peers act as a substitute for formal supportive institutions at each transition point. We assume that reducing territorial barriers and proactive informing can be the most efficient for improving accessibility.

Keywords: Казахстан, доступность высшего образования, disabled students, access to higher education, студенты с ограниченными возможностями, высшее образование для инвалидов и людей с ограниченными возможностями здоровья, ученики с инвалидностью, студенты с инвалидностью, disability inclusion, educational inclusion, education in post-Soviet countries, высшее образование в постсоветских странах, Kazakhstani students

Publication based on the results of: The Institutional Role of Higher Education Institutions in Shaping Students' Trajectories (2023)