Inclusion of students with visual impairment in Indian higher education: a critical inquiry from a human rights perspective

The shift in the language and concepts of human rights has initiated a transition in disability policies globally. In India, this shift followed a liberal rights framework rooted in the dominance of an able-bodied perspective promoting homogenization and undermining the subjective lived experiences of people with impairments. This chapter addresses ‘How do rights-based policies and legislations concerning higher education of persons with disability empirically operate on the ground in India?’. The main policies, ‘Rights of Persons with Disability Act’ 2016 and ‘Higher Education for Persons with Special Needs’ scheme in the field of higher education are contrasted with the lived experiences of students with visual impairment. The chapter draws instances from mixed embedded research on the lived experiences of students of access and participation in higher educational institutions in Kerala, India. The study shows that the disability policies define disability rights without addressing the subjective experience of the impairment and its intersectionalities. The policies follow the procedural justice framework and deviate from the substantive idea of justice. They become a mere extension of liberal rights without addressing the ontological existence of impairment. Due to this, the policy rarely translates into actions facilitating access and participation in higher education. To achieve substantive equality the subjective experiences of people with disability and intersectionality should be considered in policy.