Implementing the principles of inclusive education within higher education can be challenging. Inclusive education was originally developed for younger students, prior to its application within higher education. However, as more students with disabilities successfully complete their early schooling, the need to move towards inclusive practices within higher education has increased. The purpose of this article is to offer thoughts on inclusive practices within higher education. The paper is organised into three sections: a description of the current situation of inclusive education in relation to students with disabilities in higher education; a review of the literature focused on students with disabilities and on faculty members within higher education; and a discussion of how moving the university towards an inclusive setting requires designing policies, strategies, processes and actions that contribute to ensuring the success of all the students.

This study provides a systematic review of the literature on what factors university students with disabilities recognise as necessary for their academic success. This systematic review was conducted in ERIC, Scopus and Web of Science. The opinions of 3854 students in a total of 31 qualitative and quantitative studies were analysed through a system of categories and codes. The results were organised according to the description of the studies (type of methodology, country and type of disability) and personal and external factors favouring success. Among the personal factors of students with disabilities who progress and remain at university, self-advocacy, self-awareness, self-determination, self-esteem and executive functioning stood out. Regarding external factors, the following were identified: family, disability offices, staff and faculty members, and peers that influence their academic success. This paper includes significant findings that universities can use to develop actions that promote the development of some of the factors identified in this study, thus favouring the learning and academic success of students with disabilities.

This systematic review explores the research carried out to date on invisible disabilities and higher education. Out of a total of 443 studies, with no time restrictions in the search, 16 articles met the inclusion criteria. These included both qualitative and quantitative studies and involved a total of 1431 students with hidden disabilities. Following data analysis, based on a system of categories and codes, the results help answer five questions: What are the characteristics of the studies conducted in terms of country, participants and methodology? Why do students with invisible disabilities choose not to disclose their disability? How does non-disclosure of disability affect students’ retention and success in higher education? What barriers do students with invisible disabilities encounter in higher education? How are students with invisible disabilities supported in their academic success? The conclusions warn about the risk of not making disability visible and forgoing the accommodations that are necessary for the progression and completion of studies in institutions that still have a long way to go before becoming truly inclusive.

This article analyses the perspectives of faculty members on disability in higher education. Their testimonies give value to the attitudes and qualities of university students with disabilities and show how they influence their professional and personal development. We carried out a qualitative study, through interviews with 119 faculty members of different fields from 10 Spanish universities, who were nominated by students with disabilities for developing inclusive pedagogy. We conducted a progressive analysis of the data using a system of categories and codes. The results describe the motivations that drove the participants to respond to the needs of students with disabilities, the personal and professional impact posed by the challenge of adjusting the teaching and learning processes, and the perceptions of the faculty members toward the contributions of these students to the university. In the conclusions section, we delve into the need of universities to embrace inclusivity. The data provided by this study reveal that disability can be a valuable asset in a university context that dissociates from the deficit lens and acknowledges that all students are important and able to learn when the attitudes and conditions are appropriate.

This study presents a series of key aspects to achieve inclusive education in Spanish universities, from the viewpoint of students with disabilities and disability support service staff. The study used a qualitative methodology through in-depth semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was inductive, through a system of categories and codes. Results revealed various essential aspects to facilitate inclusive education: the positive attitude of the faculty members towards students with disabilities promotes the inclusive education, the need to make reasonable adjustments (methodologies, evaluation systems, and resources) to guarantee the learning of students with disabilities, and the use of technologies to facilitate access to learning. Results allowed us to conclude that the faculty was a key figure in the inclusion of students with disabilities and it's necessary a universal learning design approach into practice to benefit all students.