Page 309 - RUICHSS 2023 Proceeding

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

Inclusive education could be defined as a model that proposes an

educational model in which all students are able to learn, participate, and
are welcomed as valuable members of the university (Morgado et al., 2016).

Implementing the principles of inclusive education in higher education can

be challenging (Moriña, 2017), but at the same time it is a necessity if we
want to create a democratic society in which all people have equal access to

all resources, that is, if we want to create a society in that recognise that we
do not all have the same starting point and recognise the need to

acknowledge and make adjustments to imbalances. Social inclusion is

important to a person's dignity, security, and opportunity for a better life.
Therefore, the extent to which social inclusion is provided in higher

education affects the prosperity of the entire country/society. The right to
education is a right guaranteed by legal acts in many countries, but many

young people with disabilities still have no or very limited access to higher
education.

National universities in Sri Lanka enrol only a small number of students
with disabilities compared to the total number of students, and their

inclusion is limited to social science and humanities courses. The low

number of students with disabilities is mainly due to the lack of awareness
and capacity of faculty, administrators, and society, in general, to deal with

their needs and requirements, as well as organisational barriers
(Yatigammana, Dorabawila, & Abhayaratne, 2021). These same barriers are

mentioned in a number of studies around the world (e.g., Hadjikakou &

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