Accessibility Centers in Universities: reflections from an institutional experience

Abstract The current educational policy in the Brazilian context advocates the guarantee of an inclusive educational system at all levels of education. Data from the Higher Education Census of 2013 show an increase of 575.4% between 2003 and 2013 in the number of students with disabilities in higher education institutions. This growth stems from a set of measures inserted in the Brazilian legislation to guarantee access and adequate conditions of care for people with disabilities at this level of education. This descriptive-analytical, documentary-based study uses institutional norms as a source of data, from 2011 to 2015, with the purpose of describing the work of the Accessibility Center at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte / UFRN, and discussing some of this experience. The study seeks to contribute to the discussions about inclusion in Brazilian higher education, as well as the improvement of the support services offered in this context.