Inclusão de pessoas com deficiência na Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC): análise dos planos de desenvolvimento institucional à luz da legislação brasileira

Abstract

The general objective of this study is to analyze the Institutional Development Plans (PDIs) of the Federal University of Ceará (UFC), from 2007 to 2025, considering Brazilian legislation regarding the inclusion of students with disabilities in higher education. To achieve this purpose, three specific objectives were established: to map, within the legal and normative frameworks, the principles, the obligations of the State, and the guarantees of access and permanence granted to students with disabilities; to identify the guidelines, goals, and actions related to inclusion present in UFC’s PDIs; and to compare these institutional elements with legal provisions and public policies on accessibility and inclusive education. The research adopts a qualitative, documentary approach and employs content analysis to describe and interpret the material. The corpus consists of national legislation that guides inclusive education, as well as the PDIs in effect at UFC between 2007 and 2025. The results indicate that UFC has gradually advanced in incorporating legal directives related to inclusion, particularly from the 2018–2022 PDI onward, when accessibility begins to be addressed more consistently, encompassing architectural, communicational, informational, pedagogical, and digital dimensions. In the 2023–2027 PDI, this movement becomes more pronounced, with greater detail in planned actions, explicit recognition of diversity, and strengthened institutional efforts through the UFC Inclui program. Such advances demonstrate increasing alignment with national policies that structure inclusive education. Despite these developments, the analysis shows that, although the PDIs demonstrate important approximations to the social model of disability incorporated into Brazilian legislation, significant gaps remain. These include the absence of clearly defined operational goals, the lack of indicators capable of measuring results, weaknesses in monitoring mechanisms, limitations in curricular accessibility guidelines, and insufficient continuous training for faculty and staff. Persistent physical and digital barriers were also identified, as well as the lack of integrated institutional systems capable of tracking the academic trajectories of students with disabilities. It is concluded that UFC’s PDIs show meaningful progress in acknowledging inclusion and accessibility as institutional commitments, but they do not yet constitute instruments fully capable of ensuring the effective implementation of actions required by legal mandates. The findings highlight the need to improve strategic planning, strengthen the governance of inclusion, and expand practices that promote not only access, but also the permanence and full participation of students with disabilities in higher education.