View in EDS

Resilience amid Barriers: Narratives of Disability Inclusion in Afghan Higher Education Institutions

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Resilience amid Barriers: Narratives of Disability Inclusion in Afghan Higher Education Institutions
Language: English
Authors: Mohammad Idrees Naeemy (ORCID 0000-0002-3077-6630), Hiroki Yoneda (ORCID 0000-0002-9844-9564)
Source: Educational Process: International Journal. Article e2026015 2026 20.
Availability: UNIVERSITEPARK Limited. iTOWER Plaza (No61, 9th floor) Merkez Mh Akar Cd No3, Sisli, Istanbul, Turkey 34382. e-mail: editor@edupij.com; Web site: http://www.edupij.com/
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 30
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Students with Disabilities, Higher Education, Inclusion, Resilience (Psychology), Barriers, Access to Education, Accessibility (for Disabled), Social Bias, Attitudes toward Disabilities, Student Experience, Physical Disabilities, Visual Impairments, Hard of Hearing, Coping
Geographic Terms: Afghanistan
ISSN: 2147-0901
2564-8020
Abstract: Background/purpose: Students with disabilities (SwDs) remain significantly underrepresented in Afghan higher education institutions (HEIs), facing barriers linked to inaccessible infrastructure, inadequate accommodations, and entrenched social stigma. While global frameworks such as the CRPD emphasize inclusive higher education (HE), limited empirical evidence exists from conflict-affected and low-resource contexts like Afghanistan. This study explores how SwDs experience HE and how their narratives illuminate both resilience and systemic barriers. Materials/methods: Using a qualitative narrative analysis approach, 26 SwDs (17 with physical or locomotor impairments, eight with visual impairments, and one with a hearing impairment) from diverse universities and provinces across Afghanistan were interviewed. Semistructured interviews were conducted in Pashto and Dari, transcribed, translated into English, and analyzed inductively with MAXQDA. Thematic narrative analysis focused on how participants positioned themselves, navigated institutional barriers, and constructed their identities in academic and social environments. Results: The narratives revealed five interrelated themes: reconstructing identity through education, navigating institutional barriers, societal influences on disability narratives, turning points in educational journeys, and aspirations alongside employment challenges. Participants emphasized education as both a refuge and a tool of empowerment, but also reported pervasive structural obstacles, including inaccessible campuses, limited access to assistive technologies, and unsupportive attitudes. Concerns about post-graduation employment underscored broader systemic exclusion. Conclusion: This study was conducted recently following a major political transition in Afghanistan, when educational access--particularly for women--had become increasingly restricted. The findings thus represent both lived experiences and a historical snapshot of inclusion before such access was curtailed. Findings highlight that inclusion in Afghan HEIs remains largely aspirational, constrained by infrastructural, institutional, and societal barriers. Genuine inclusion requires systemic change and strong policy implementation at the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE). Findings of this study reinforce the importance of a rights-based approach to inclusive education, aligning with the principles of the CRPD and SDG4.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1497353
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=EJ1497353
    Name: ERIC Full Text
    Category: fullText
    Text: Full Text from ERIC
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1497353
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Resilience amid Barriers: Narratives of Disability Inclusion in Afghan Higher Education Institutions
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mohammad+Idrees+Naeemy%22">Mohammad Idrees Naeemy</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3077-6630">0000-0002-3077-6630</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hiroki+Yoneda%22">Hiroki Yoneda</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9844-9564">0000-0002-9844-9564</externalLink>)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Educational+Process%3A+International+Journal%22"><i>Educational Process: International Journal</i></searchLink>. Article e2026015 2026 20.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: UNIVERSITEPARK Limited. iTOWER Plaza (No61, 9th floor) Merkez Mh Akar Cd No3, Sisli, Istanbul, Turkey 34382. e-mail: editor@edupij.com; Web site: http://www.edupij.com/
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 30
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Postsecondary+Education%22">Postsecondary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Students+with+Disabilities%22">Students with Disabilities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Higher+Education%22">Higher Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Inclusion%22">Inclusion</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Resilience+%28Psychology%29%22">Resilience (Psychology)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Barriers%22">Barriers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Access+to+Education%22">Access to Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Accessibility+%28for+Disabled%29%22">Accessibility (for Disabled)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Bias%22">Social Bias</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attitudes+toward+Disabilities%22">Attitudes toward Disabilities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Experience%22">Student Experience</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Physical+Disabilities%22">Physical Disabilities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Visual+Impairments%22">Visual Impairments</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Hard+of+Hearing%22">Hard of Hearing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Coping%22">Coping</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Afghanistan%22">Afghanistan</searchLink>
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 2147-0901<br />2564-8020
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Background/purpose: Students with disabilities (SwDs) remain significantly underrepresented in Afghan higher education institutions (HEIs), facing barriers linked to inaccessible infrastructure, inadequate accommodations, and entrenched social stigma. While global frameworks such as the CRPD emphasize inclusive higher education (HE), limited empirical evidence exists from conflict-affected and low-resource contexts like Afghanistan. This study explores how SwDs experience HE and how their narratives illuminate both resilience and systemic barriers. Materials/methods: Using a qualitative narrative analysis approach, 26 SwDs (17 with physical or locomotor impairments, eight with visual impairments, and one with a hearing impairment) from diverse universities and provinces across Afghanistan were interviewed. Semistructured interviews were conducted in Pashto and Dari, transcribed, translated into English, and analyzed inductively with MAXQDA. Thematic narrative analysis focused on how participants positioned themselves, navigated institutional barriers, and constructed their identities in academic and social environments. Results: The narratives revealed five interrelated themes: reconstructing identity through education, navigating institutional barriers, societal influences on disability narratives, turning points in educational journeys, and aspirations alongside employment challenges. Participants emphasized education as both a refuge and a tool of empowerment, but also reported pervasive structural obstacles, including inaccessible campuses, limited access to assistive technologies, and unsupportive attitudes. Concerns about post-graduation employment underscored broader systemic exclusion. Conclusion: This study was conducted recently following a major political transition in Afghanistan, when educational access--particularly for women--had become increasingly restricted. The findings thus represent both lived experiences and a historical snapshot of inclusion before such access was curtailed. Findings highlight that inclusion in Afghan HEIs remains largely aspirational, constrained by infrastructural, institutional, and societal barriers. Genuine inclusion requires systemic change and strong policy implementation at the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE). Findings of this study reinforce the importance of a rights-based approach to inclusive education, aligning with the principles of the CRPD and SDG4.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2026
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1497353
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1497353
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 30
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Students with Disabilities
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Higher Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Inclusion
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Resilience (Psychology)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Barriers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Access to Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Accessibility (for Disabled)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social Bias
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Attitudes toward Disabilities
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Experience
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Physical Disabilities
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Visual Impairments
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Hard of Hearing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Coping
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Afghanistan
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Resilience amid Barriers: Narratives of Disability Inclusion in Afghan Higher Education Institutions
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Mohammad Idrees Naeemy
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Hiroki Yoneda
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 2147-0901
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 2564-8020
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 20
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Educational Process: International Journal
              Type: main
ResultId 1