This research elaborates the nexus of disability-migration-education through a multidisciplinary investigation of intersectional barriers faced by Syrian youth with disabilities during their access to, and study at higher education (HE) institutions in Turkey. HE inclusivity for Syrian students with disabilities (SSD) is analysed in terms of the main administrative, societal, and structural barriers. The methodological design of this study applies a human rights-based approach to education, migration and disability in company with participatory action research methodology. Findings are based on data collected through semi-structured interviews, participant observations, institutional visits, and multi-stakeholder workshops addressing disability and migration-based experiences of SSD in 2018 and 2019 in Istanbul, Şanlıurfa and Gaziantep. Information and experiences are collected from SSD, NGOs in the field of migration and disability, governmental bodies, and HE institutions. Our findings showed that various legal, administrative and cultural barriers, and structural inequalities make access to HE more difficult for refugees with disabilities. Despite these, SSD have success stories in accessing HE as a result of their hard work and courage. This study provides first-hand bottom-up intersectional research about the situation of SSD in Turkey, host to the largest refugee population in the world.

Author Keywords: Higher education (HE), Refugees with disabilities, Students with disabilities, Syrians, Turkey

Source: International Journal of Disability, Development and Education

Full Resource

DOI: 10.1080/1034912X.2024.2406467

Print ISSN: 1034-912X

Online ISSN: 1465-346X