From Accessibility to Inclusion: The Evolution of Higher Education for Persons with Disabilities in Post-Soviet Georgia

This article examines the evolution and current state of inclusive higher education (HE) for students with special educational needs/disabilities in post-Soviet Georgia. The Bologna Process has advanced the democratization and accessibility of higher education in Georgia, making the inclusion of persons with disabilities a relatively new challenge for the country. Within this context, the purpose of this study is to explore the existing praxis of institutionalisation of inclusion in higher education (HE), based on university staff experiences of interacting with students with special educational needs and disabilities in university educational settings. The research is based on data collected from 19 HE institutions in Georgia. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining a predominantly positivist, hypothesisdriven quantitative analysis with qualitative focus groups to contextualise and deepen the findings. The quantitative component relies on a validated survey administered to academic and administrative staff, while the qualitative component includes focus groups with experts and persons with disabilities from Georgia and Sweden. The findings reveal a significant gap between progressive legislative frameworks and their practical implementation. Core empirical challenges include limited faculty preparedness, insufficient institutional infrastructure, and weak administrative support systems. Additionally, the study identifies persistent barriers such as outdated methodological approaches, low levels of awareness, and ineffective information dissemination mechanisms across institutions. The study contributes to both policy and academic discourse by demonstrating that, despite ongoing efforts to align with international standards, including United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), the adaptation of Western models of inclusive education in Georgia remains fragmented and lacks systemic coherence. The findings underscore the need for comprehensive institutional transformation that extends beyond formal policy adoption to include reforms in pedagogy, curriculum design, assessment practices, and governance structures. Accordingly, the article offers targeted recommendations aimed at strengthening monitoring mechanisms, enhancing faculty professional development, improving resource allocation, and fostering participatory and inclusive institutional cultures.