Page 13 - RUICHSS 2023 Proceeding

University of Ruhuna ISSN: 2706-0063
Matara, Sri Lanka

Keynote Address

Inclusion and Social Dimension of Higher Education

Lelia Kiš-Glavaš, PhD, Full Professor Tenure
University of Zagreb
Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences
Department of Inclusive Education and Rehabilitation

Equal access to education is crucial not only for realising human rights but also for
fostering individual and societal development. Although we primarily emphasise
the educational dimension, the social dimension of higher education holds equal

significance. Education equality is an integral component of social equity, ensuring
that everyone can access and develop knowledge and skills without facing
discrimination (Sočo & Zrnić, 2021).

Discrimination puts individuals or groups at a disadvantage compared to others
based on certain characteristics, such as disability. Disability has the potential to
expose a person to discrimination, as the term is used to describe people based on

certain characteristics or the lack of abilities. This can lead to stigmatisation in
various aspects of social life (Mattila & Papageorgiou, 2017), representing direct

discrimination. Indirect discrimination occurs when seemingly neutral provisions
or rules create disadvantages for specific individuals or groups. For instance,
prohibiting pets on public transportation may discriminate against blind people

who rely on guide dogs for mobility. Discrimination can also take multiple forms,
combining various grounds such as gender, age, and disability at the same time.

Moreover, individuals related to people with disabilities, including parents,
relatives, peers, and teachers, might also experience discrimination. This form of
discrimination, referred to as "transferred or associative discrimination" or

"courtesy stigma" (Goffman, 1963), can lead to the exclusion of people with
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