Access to University Studies: A New Form of Discrimination for Low-Functioning People

• Published in: Trends in higher education Vol. 3; no. 1; pp. 1 - 15
• Main Authors: Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Tamara, Álvarez-Martínez-Iglesias, José-María, Molina-Saorín, Jesús, Marín-Marín, José-Antonio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 20.12.2023
• Subjects: gender; higher education; low functional performance; teacher education
• ISSN: 2813-4346; 2813-4346
• DOI: 10.3390/higheredu3010001

Although it would seem that we are currently in a more inclusive society, the reality is quite different, since discriminatory models continue to be perpetuated based on the level of functional performance of each person. In this sense, the purpose of this study is to find out the degree of discrimination that people with low functional performance have in relation to the rest of the population on the basis of sex and level of studies. To this end, through a thorough investigation based on the scientific method and articulated via statistical analysis (the modelling of categorical data), this study reveals the situations of inequality to which people with low functional performance are subjected in terms of higher education. This study used the survey on Employment of People with Disabilities (EPD), carried out by the National Statistics Institute (INE), and conducted annually with a sample size of 60,000 households, equivalent to some 200,000 people. The statistical analysis was carried out using R software and the main techniques used were contingency table modelling, log-linear models, and logistic models. Finally, some recommendations are offered to contribute to social awareness, for which the role of teachers is a crucial element for educational equity and their training is of vital importance, as teachers are a key element in adapting contents to different abilities, especially for people with lower functional performance. The quality of the initial training they receive will depend on their achievement.