Where are disabled doctoral students? Opening doors to training trajectories and advancement

Despite growing commitments to inclusive higher education, the participation of disabled students in doctoral education remains limited. This systematic review aims to synthesise and critically analyse research on disabled doctoral students, focusing on the challenges they face, their impacts, and the conditions shaping their participation. Following PRISMA guidelines, searches were conducted in Web of Science, Scopus, and ERIC for studies published between 2014 and 2024. Twenty-four studies met the inclusion criteria and were appraised using the CASP. An analytic narrative synthesis approach was employed. The findings reveal interconnected institutional, social, and personal barriers, including unclear accommodation processes, limited accessibility, and ableist academic cultures that restrict participation and reinforce exclusion. While disabled doctoral students develop strategies to navigate these environments, responsibility is often placed on them rather than on institutions. The review highlights the need for systemic transformation to ensure meaningful inclusion in doctoral education.