Entrelaçamentos históricos e narrativas da surdocegueira adquirida: estudo de caso e reflexões sobre atendimento educacional especializado no ensino superior

Abstract

This thesis, developed in a multi-paper format, investigates the inclusion of students with deafblindness in Brazilian higher education, bringing together historical, political, educational, and epistemological dimensions, emphasizing the pedagogical mediation processes as a strategic field for promoting accessibility and learning. The study begins with the issue of the limited implementation of inclusive education policies within the university context, particularly regarding support for students with complex disabilities, while considering the challenges of accessing scientific knowledge, technical-scientific language, and pedagogical practices in Science Education. This qualitative research combines an integrative literature review, documentary analysis, and a case study, seeking to understand how inclusion policies are implemented in everyday academic life. The study focuses on aspects related to teacher training, the organization of Specialized Educational Support (SES) in higher education, the use of Assistive Technology (AT), pedagogical mediation strategies, and institutional conditions regarding access, retention, and learning. The objective is to analyze the academic inclusion process of a student with deafblindness, based on experiences within the SES and the interfaces established with Science Education. The research examines the tensions between biomedical and social models of disability, discussing how certain conceptions of normality and academic productivity can reinforce processes of educational exclusion. A review of Brazilian academic literature from 2015 to 2025 highlights a scarcity of studies on deafblindness, as well as gaps in teacher training and the consolidation of inclusive practices aimed at higher education. An analysis of the regulatory framework points to the existence of consistent legal provisions, contrasting with weaknesses in the implementation of institutional accessibility policies and the consolidation of inclusive pedagogical practices that ensure students with deafblindness acquire scientific knowledge. This case study was conducted at a public university and is grounded in Historical-Cultural Theory (HCT), adopting a narrative inspired qualitative approach to analyze the experiences of lead instructors, support staff (monitors), and the SES´ teacher-researcher. The results demonstrate that inclusion is a dynamic, relational, and multidimensional process shaped by institutional, pedagogical, and attitudinal factors. The study identifies the coexistence of different conceptions of disability, leading to ambivalence in pedagogical practices, as well as persistent structural and attitudinal barriers that limit academic participation and access to scientific knowledge in university settings. Conversely, the study highlights successful pedagogical mediation experiences developed collaboratively among faculty, SES staff, and monitors; associated with the use of AT, tactile materials, curricular adaptations, and multisensory strategies that fostered the student's learning and participation in Science Education. It is concluded that inclusion goes beyond formal access to the university, and requires institutional, epistemological, and cultural reconfigurations, as well as ongoing policies for teacher training and accessibility. Thus, the successful retention of students with deafblindness in higher education depends on the establishment of support networks, curricular flexibility, and the central role of social mediation in the processes of learning and the acquisition of scientific knowledge.