Accessibility Barriers and Challenges Faced by Students with Disabilities in Health Sciences Programs

This project is a systematic review that aims to identify and synthesize the available scientific evidence on accessibility barriers and challenges faced by students with disabilities enrolled in undergraduate health sciences programs. Despite legal and regulatory advances intended to promote inclusion in higher education, these students continue to encounter substantial obstacles that compromise both their academic participation, performance, and professional training. The barriers reported in the literature include architectural, communicational, attitudinal, pedagogical, and technological factors. These challenges are particularly evident in health-related degree programs. Fields such as Medicine, Nursing, Physical Therapy, Psychology, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Nutrition, Speech-Language Pathology, Biomedical Sciences, and Physical Education require extensive engagement in practical, laboratory, and clinical learning environments, contexts that often intensify accessibility barriers and may negatively impact student retention.