While Accessibility and Universal Design (UD) are increasingly cited in policy discourse, their actual integration into Higher Education (HE) curricula across disciplines remains scattered, superficial, and inconsistent. Findings from the ATHENA project (see Acknowledgement), which examined the current landscape of inclusion in HE, highlight a concerning pattern: accessibility and UD are either absent or marginally included in most university programs. When present, these concepts are often reduced to technological interventions or pedagogical accommodations, sidelining their broader implications as tools for equity, human rights, and social transformation.

The ATHENA Position-Policy Paper recently published makes a compelling case for a systemic rethinking of how accessibility and UD are conceptualized, taught, and operationalized in HE. It reveals how HE curricula—far from being neutral—often reproduce ableist norms and deficit-oriented perspectives by framing disability through a narrow lens of individual adaptation or “special needs.” The project’s analysis shows that where accessibility and UD appear, they are typically linked to assistive technologies or inclusive teaching methods, especially in technical or education-oriented fields. This narrow scope perpetuates the “technicist” view of inclusion, disconnecting it from its rights-based, political, and ethical foundations.

Moreover, the absence of legally binding frameworks and accountability structures at national and institutional levels means that inclusion remains a discretionary initiative, often driven by individual academic interest rather than structural commitment. This policy vacuum sustains exclusionary practices and hampers efforts to cultivate inclusive learning environments that reflect the full spectrum of human diversity and interdependence.

As a leading platform for advancing assistive technology and inclusive policy, AAATE is uniquely positioned to catalyse this shift in higher education. This session aligns with the conference’s objectives to advance inclusive design, foster cross-sectoral collaboration, and build bridges between research, policy, and practice. It also supports broader European and global policy agendas, including the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the European Accessibility Act, and the Sustainable Development Goals. Thus, in the framework of the AAATE 2025 conference, hosted by a Higher Education institution, the proposed policy session will provide a platform to discuss the ATHENA position paper and explore how we can move from occasional inclusion to structural integration of accessibility and UD in curricula across all academic disciplines.

The session will feature a diverse panel of stakeholders—including project partners, policy actors, academic leaders, and accreditation representatives—who will analyse the current gaps, share strategies, and co-develop a short declaration calling for the integration of accessibility and UD in HE as a mainstream curricular priority. [Working title: The Nicosia Declaration – From Margins to Mainstream: Integrating Accessibility and Universal Design Across Higher Education Curricula]

Expected outcomes of the session

• Illuminate the structural, ideological and practical barriers preventing the full integration of accessibility and UD into HE curricula and raise awareness among academic and policy stakeholders.

• Strengthen intersectoral cooperation for curricular reform through accessibility-informed strategies.

• Contribute to the development of a shared European commitment through a joint declaration for distribution to HEIs, policy makers, and European agencies.

• Demonstrate how these concepts can be embedded meaningfully across disciplines—not just in education and health, but also law, engineering, business, and beyond.

Organisations involved

AAATE, EUC, EDF, JKU, IAAP EU, Teach Access Europe, AccessibleEU

Speakers and panelists

Chairs: Katerina Mavrou, Eleni Theodorou & Reinhard Kurti

Speakers:

Persons with Disability Organisations Representative (TBC)

Higher Education Quality Assurance Body Representative (TBC)

Prof. Panayiotis Zaphiris, Rector, Cyprus University of Technology

Sussana Laurin, G3ict and IAAP Representative to the EU

Gottfried Zimmerman, AccessibleEU Expert and Teach-Access Representative