Designing for Access

Learning From Disabled Educators in Higher Education

Abstract

Inclusion in education is often framed as a technical or compliance-driven process, emphasizing accommodations and policy requirements rather than everyday instructional practice. This article argues that centering disabled voices, particularly those of disabled educators, can support more relational, proactive approaches to inclusion in teaching and learning. Drawing on a narrative vignette of a disabled teacher educator, we illustrate how lived disability and/or neurodivergent experience informs instructional decision-making that normalizes access, reduces cognitive barriers, and benefits all learners. Shared examples demonstrate how disability-informed practices can interrupt deficit-biased assumptions and model inclusive pedagogy for future educators. These practices are situated within broader discussions of inclusion, othering, and belonging in higher education, with particular attention to teacher preparation contexts. Drawing on existing research, we highlight how disabled and/or neurodivergent educators contribute a unique perspective on inclusive learning environments and shape teacher candidates’ understanding of disability, advocacy, and instructional responsibility. Practical, higher-education-specific recommendations at both institutional and individual levels are discussed, including reducing barriers to accommodations, supporting faculty learning, amplifying the voices of disabled people, and embedding inclusive instructional strategies within routine practice.