Physical Accessibility in Higher Education: Evaluating a University Campus in Ecuador for Sustainable Inclusion

Verónica Maldonado-Garcés, José Carlos Sánchez-García, Brizeida Hernández-Sánchez, Patricia Acosta-Vargas and Elking Araujo ()
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Verónica Maldonado-Garcés: Facultad de Salud y Bienestar, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito 170501, Ecuador
José Carlos Sánchez-García: Departamento de Psicología Social, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Salamanca, 37008 Salamanca, Spain
Brizeida Hernández-Sánchez: Departamento de Psicología Social, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Salamanca, 37008 Salamanca, Spain
Patricia Acosta-Vargas: Intelligent and Interactive Systems Laboratory, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito 170125, Ecuador
Elking Araujo: Facultad de Aprendizaje, Lenguas y Comunicación, Pontificia Universidad Católica Del Ecuador, Quito 170501, Ecuador

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 12, 1-15

Abstract: Physical accessibility is a human right constituted in legal regulations, which mandates guaranteeing inclusive and equitable spaces in higher education, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals, especially with goal 4, which guarantees inclusive and equitable quality education, goal 10, which aims to reduce inequalities by promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities, and goal 11 which seeks to create sustainable and accessible environments. University centers must adhere to the strict principles of universal accessibility to ensure that all individuals, regardless of their abilities, can navigate and use their facilities independently and safely. In this context, the objective of this article is to evaluate the physical accessibility of an Ecuadorian university’s campus, identifying barriers that limit the full inclusion of university students with disabilities. For this purpose, an ad hoc instrument was applied based on the guidelines of national and international regulations on accessibility. The evaluation was conducted in one of the buildings with the highest student concentrations in Quito, Ecuador. It is concluded that the campus has made significant progress in implementing accessibility, although it is necessary to make important changes, as almost half of the evaluated elements are barely accessible.

Keywords: accessibility; higher education; inclusion; Sustainable Development Goals (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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