Is My University Inclusive? Towards a Multi-Domain Instrument for Sustainable Environments in Higher Education

Area of Science:

• Higher Education Inclusion
• Disability Studies
• Universal Design

Background:

• Italian universities must provide accommodations for students with disabilities.
• A universal design approach aims to benefit all students by creating inclusive environments.
• Existing inclusion practices in higher education require evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To pilot a multi-domain set of inclusion indicators in Italian universities.
• To assess the application of Universal Design principles in academic settings.
• To compare individual accommodation approaches with universal design strategies.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study was conducted across three Italian universities (Brescia, Trieste, Venice).
• A 35-item checklist based on the International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health (ICF) Environmental Chapters was developed.
• The study combined Universal Design for the built environment and Universal Design for Learning for the instructional environment.

Main Results:

• The study identified four ICF Environmental Chapters (E1, E3, E4, E5) relevant to the academic context.
• Indicators included qualitative, quantitative, and mixed measures across physical, instructional, cultural, communicative, social, and recreational domains.
• The prevailing approach observed was individual accommodation, not universal design.

Conclusions:

• Despite legal mandates for accommodations, Italian universities predominantly use an individual-based approach.
• A shift towards universal design principles is recommended to maximize benefits for the entire student population.
• The developed ICF-based checklist provides a framework for assessing and enhancing university inclusion.