Enhancing Disability Inclusion in Higher Education: Merilee Grindle Model Perspective in Policy Implementation for Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 16

Titis Dewi Anggalini; Alfiana Febriani; Rida Kurniaingtyas; Aulia Sulfiannur Naila; Risqi Widyastuti; Fitri Wulanningsih

doi:10.21831/socia.v21i2.73968

Enhancing Disability Inclusion in Higher Education: Merilee Grindle Model Perspective in Policy Implementation for Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 16

Titis Dewi Anggalini, Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Social Sciences, Law, and Political Sciences, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Indonesia
Alfiana Febriani, Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Social Sciences, Law, and Political Sciences, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Indonesia
Rida Kurniaingtyas, Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Social Sciences, Law, and Political Sciences, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Indonesia
Aulia Sulfiannur Naila, Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Social Sciences, Law, and Political Sciences, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Indonesia
Risqi Widyastuti, Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Social Sciences, Law, and Political Sciences, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Indonesia
Fitri Wulanningsih, Department of Public Administration, Faculty of Social Sciences, Law, and Political Sciences, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Indonesia

10.21831/socia.v21i2.73968

Abstract

Inclusiveness policies in services, including education, are an important mandate, especially related to access for people with disabilities. This study focuses on universities as education service providers, which are committed to improving supporting facilities for lectures for people with disabilities. The objectives of the study include: (1) the influence of disability facility policies on achieving SDG's 16, (2) efforts by universities to fulfill the policy mandate, and (3) challenges and opportunities for its implementation. Using the Merilee Grindle model, this study highlights the implementation of policies related to SDG's 16, namely Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. The Mix Methods method with a sequential explanatory approach is used. In the first stage, quantitative analysis was carried out with a simple linear regression test, followed by qualitative data collection using the Miles and Huberman interactive model. The results show that the implementation of disability facility policies has a significant impact on achieving SDG's 16. Universities have shown commitment through the provision of disability-friendly infrastructure, supportive regulations, and mentoring and training programs. The main opportunity is the commitment of university leaders to disability inclusion. However, major challenges remain, especially in the suboptimal policy monitoring and evaluation system.

Keywords

Inclusive Policy, Disability Facilities, Merilee Grindle's Model, Higher Education, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta

References

Acosta-Vargas, P., Acosta, T., & Lujan-Mora, S. (2018). Challenges to assess accessibility in higher education websites: A comparative study of Latin American universities. IEEE Access , 6 , 36500–36508. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2018.2848978

Alzyoudi, M., Opoku, M. P., & Moustafa, A. (2021). Inclusive Higher Education in the United Arab Emirates: Will Perceived Knowledge of Inclusion Impact Positively on University Students' Attitudes Towards Learning With Peers With Disabilities? Frontiers in Education , 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.793086

Amin, AS, Zuki, SZM, & Akhir, NM (2019). Accessibility to facilities for persons with disabilities at public institutes of higher learning. International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering, 8 (2 Special Issue 10), 21–37. https://doi.org/10.35940/ijrte.B1004.0982S1019

Amnesti, SKW, Zulaichah, S., Noh, MSM, & Fitriyah, L. (2023). Higher Education with Disabilities Policy: Ensuring Equality Inclusive Education in Indonesia, Singapore and United States. Journal of Human Rights, Culture and Legal Systems, 3(3), 412–440. https://doi.org/10.53955/jhcls.v3i3.135

Atkins, L. (2016). Dis(en)abled: Legitimizing discriminatory practice in the name of inclusion? British Journal of Special Education , 43 (1), 6–21. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8578.12123

Babić, M. M. (2020). Students with disabilities in higher education – the perspective of formal support services. Hrvatska Revija Za Rehabilitacijska Istrazivanja, 56(2), 61–82. https://doi.org/10.31299/hrri.56.2.4

Barkas, L.A., Armstrong, P.-A., & Bishop, G. (2022). Is inclusion still an illusion in higher education? exploring the curriculum through the student voice. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 26 (11), 1125–1140. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2020.1776777

Beyene, W.M., Mekonnen, A.T., & Giannoumis, G.A. (2023). Inclusion, access, and accessibility of educational resources in higher education institutions: exploring the Ethiopian context. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 27(1), 18–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2020.1817580

Bilavych, H. V, Didukh, IJ, Stynska, V. V, Prokopiv, LM, Fedchyshyn, NO, Savchuk, BP, & Fedoniuk, LY (2022). Development of inclusive education in ukraine in the context of world trends. Wiadomosci Lekarskie (Warsaw, Poland: 1960), 75(4), 891–899. https://doi.org/10.36740/WLek202204125

Carballo, R., Moriña, A., & Castellano-Beltran, A. (2024). Learning from faculty members who carry out inclusive pedagogy in Spanish universities: the importance of accessible methodologies and resources. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.53761/ab2y2h09

Castro, F., Cerilli, C., Hu, L., Iezzoni, L.I., Varadaraj, V., & Swenor, B.K. (2024). Experiences of researchers with disabilities at academic institutions in the United States. PLoS ONE , 19(8 AUGUST). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0299612

Corcoran, T., Whitburn, B., & McCandless, T. (2024). Making Inherent Requirements Coherent: Anticipating a Means to Inclusive Education. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research , 26 (1), 272–285. https://doi.org/10.16993/sjdr.1141

Creaven, A.-M. (2024). Considering the sensory and social needs of disabled students in higher education: A call to return to the roots of universal design. Policy Futures in Education . https://doi.org/10.1177/14782103241240808

Cui, F., Cong, C., Qiaoxian, X., & Chang, X. (2019). Equal participation of persons with disabilities in the development of disability policy on accessibility in China. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 65(5), 319–326. https://doi.org/10.1080/20473869.2019.1664842

Dalton, E.M., Lyner-Cleophas, M., Ferguson, B.T., & McKenzie, J. (2019). Inclusion, universal design and universal design for learning in higher education: South Africa and the United States. African Journal of Disability , 8 . https://doi.org/10.4102/ajod.v8i0.519

de Klerk, E.D., & Palmer, J.M. (2022). Technology inclusion for students living with disabilities through collaborative online learning during and beyond COVID-19. Perspectives in Education , 40 (1), 80–95. https://doi.org/10.18820/2519593X/PIE.V40.I1.5

Denisova, OA, Gudina, T. V, Lekhanova, OL, Ponikarova, VN, Bukina, IA, & Antonova, L.A. (2016). The role of regional higher education institutions in creating conditions for people with disabilities in inclusive educational environment of the Russian Federation. Indian Journal of Science and Technology , 9(37). https://doi.org/10.17485/ijst/2016/v9i37/102171

Devar, T., Bobat, S., & Reuben, S. (2020). Representation and methods of normalisation: Narratives of disability within a South African tertiary institution. African Journal of Disability , 9 . https://doi.org/10.4102/AJOD.V9I0.629

Dreyer, L. M. (2021). Specific learning disabilities: Challenges for meaningful access and participation at higher education institutions. Journal of Education (South Africa) , 85, 75–92. https://doi.org/10.17159/2520-9868/i85a04

du Toit, NHG (2018). Designing a model for facilitating the inclusion of higher education international students with disabilities in South Africa. Social Inclusion , 6(4), 168–181. https://doi.org/10.17645/si.v6i4.1666

Dyliaeva, K., Rothman, S. B., & Ghotbi, N. (2024). Challenges to Inclusive Education for Students With Disabilities in Japanese Institutions of Higher Education. Higher Learning Research Communications , 14(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.18870/hlrc.v14i1.1453

Gonzalo, Ó., Heras, I., Castillo, J.L., Meza, C., & Verdugo, M. Á. (2024). Impact of the Quality of Life Supports Model on the inclusion of students with disabilities in higher education: A scoping review. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2024.104850

Gow, M. A., Mostert, Y., & Dreyer, L. (2020). The promise of equal education not kept: Specific learning disabilities – The invisible disability. African Journal of Disability, 9. https://doi.org/10.4102/AJOD.V9I0.647

Grigal, M., Dukes, L.L., & Walker, Z. (2021). Advancing Access to Higher Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities in the United States. Disabilities, 1(4), 438–449. https://doi.org/10.3390/disabilities1040030

Kioupi, V., Nawire, A.W., Musungu, S., Nzuve, F., & Giannopoulos, G. (2023). Policy and Practice on Inclusive Higher Education in the UK and Kenya: A Theoretical Framework and Recommendations. Sustainability (Switzerland), 15(18). https://doi.org/10.3390/su151813540

Kunnath, S. K., & Mathew, S. N. (2019). Higher Education for Students with Disabilities in India: Insights from a Focus Group Study. Higher Education for the Future, 6(2), 171–187. https://doi.org/10.1177/2347631119840540

Liasidou, A., & Liasidou, S. (2023). Sunflowers, hidden disabilities and power inequities in higher education: Some critical considerations and implications for disability-inclusive education policy reforms. Power and Education . https://doi.org/10.1177/17577438231225140

López Gavira, R., & Moriña, A. (2015). Hidden voices in higher education: Inclusive policies and practices in social science and law classrooms. International Journal of Inclusive Education , 19(4), 365–378. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2014.935812

Moriña, A. (2017). Inclusive education in higher education: challenges and opportunities. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 32(1), 3–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2016.1254964

Moriña, A., Carballo, R., & Castellano-Beltran, A. (2024). A Systematic Review of the Benefits and Challenges of Technologies for the Learning of University Students With Disabilities. Journal of Special Education Technology , 39(1), 41–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/01626434231175357

Mphohoni, M.R., Geiger, M., Visagie, S., & Manafe, M. (2023). Staff perception on including students with physical disabilities at a South African university. African Journal of Disability, 13. https://doi.org/10.4102/AJOD.V13I0.1347

Muyor-Rodríguez, J., Fuentes-Gutiérrez, V., De la Fuente-Robles, Y.M., & Amezcua-Aguilar, T. (2021). Inclusive university education in Bolivia: The actors and their discourses. Sustainability (Switzerland), 13 (19). https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910818

Nassar, F.S., Abbas, A.O., & Al-Sify, H. (2024). Enhancing Quality of Learning Experiences for Students with Disabilities in Higher Education Institutions in Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals. Journal of Ecohumanism , 3(7), 4911–4922. https://doi.org/10.62754/joe.v3i7.4601

Paramita, PP, Asthana, MK, Amin, AS, & Hassim, N. (2024). Inclusive Education for Students with Disabilities: Perspectives from Indonesian and Malaysian Higher Education. Journal of Communication: Malaysian Journal of Communication, 40(3), 247–261. https://doi.org/10.17576/JKMJC-2024-4003-14

Ramaahlo, M., Tönsing, K. M., & Bornman, J. (2018). Inclusive education policy provision in South African research universities. Disability and Society, 33(3), 349–373. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2018.1423954

Rath, V. (2022). Social engagement: Hearing the experiences of disabled students in higher education in Ireland. Frontiers in Education , 7 . https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.895392

Rofiah, K., Tanyu, NR, Sujarwanto, S., & Ainin, IK (2023). Inclusive education at Surabaya State University: Perceptions and realities of students with disabilities. International Journal of Special Education , 38 (2), 14–25. https://doi.org/10.52291/ijse.2023.38.18

Sánchez-Díaz, M. N., & Morgado, B. (2022). Moving toward the Inclusion of University Students with Disabilities: Barriers, Facilitators, and Recommendations Identified by Inclusive Faculty. Journal of Continuing Higher Education, 70(3), 175–191. https://doi.org/10.1080/07377363.2021.1946635

Shikako, K., Lencucha, R., Hunt, M., Jodoin, S., Elsabbagh, M., Hudon, A., Cogburn, D., Chandra, A., Gignac-Eddy, A., Ananthamoorthy, N ., & Martens, R. (2023). How Did Governments Address the Needs of People With Disabilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic? An Analysis of 14 Countries' Policies Based on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities. International Journal of Health Policy and Management , 12 (1). https://doi.org/10.34172/ijhpm.2023.7111

Thompson, D., & Brewster, S. (2023). Inclusive placement learning for diverse higher education students: anxiety, uncertainty and opportunity. Educational Review, 75(7), 1406–1424. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2021.2023470

Vidarte, A., Zambrano, J.R., & Mattheis, A. (2022). Access and Equity for Students with Disabilities in Colombian Higher Education. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 30. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.30.6044

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21831/socia.v21i2.73968