Frameworks & Methodology

We address systemic barriers in higher education, from discriminatory policies to ableist curricula. We also call attention to systemic ableism and its direct impact on students in order to shift paradigms.

We approach the guidebook as a call to action for universities to promote radical access that is proactive, innovative, and built into systems.

Accessibility is more than just legal compliance. It requires a proactive, inclusive design that benefits everyone, known as the curb-cut effect. We examine how disabled leaders have reformed education and how access is more than compliance.

Disability does not exist in isolation. Race, gender, socioeconomic status, and other identities impact experiences of ableism. We approach our analysis from a lens that takes into account the limits of existing data and the lived experiences of students.

Disability is not a deficit to be managed. It is a political identity and a cultural experience that shapes communities. From this structure, we examined how education can be shaped by and for disabled learners.

We challenge rigid academic policies that exclude disabled students and propose more inclusive learning models based on disability justice principles and anti-ableist frameworks.