Labor and Professional Accessibility in Chilean Higher Education: Toward Inclusive Legislation for Academic Staff with Disabilities

Year 2025, Volume: 6 Issue: 2, 87 - 100, 31.12.2025

Diego Bernaschina

https://doi.org/10.55993/hegp.1691735

Abstract

This article presents a proposal for a preliminary theoretical and empirical study on the problems with current laws that exclude professionals with disabilities from academic and research careers in Chilean higher education institutions. The general objective is to investigate the legal and institutional frameworks affecting the inclusion and professional development of academic staff with disabilities in Chilean universities in order to identify structural barriers and propose reforms that promote an inclusive and equitable model at the national level, aligned with international best practices in accessibility and professional integration. Although the study uses an exclusively qualitative methodological approach based on documentary analysis, thematic conceptual mapping, and comparative legal review, which allows for the examination of both labor inclusion and Chilean education policy, effective judicial system, and cognitive accessibility and equity for professionals with disabilities within the higher education system are not guaranteed. This study combines a theoretical framework based on inclusive education, the rights of persons with disabilities, and governance with empirical data from transparency reports and legal analyses. The research proposes urgent legal reforms to replace the current 2% labor quota with a mandate requiring a minimum hiring quota of 4% for each academic faculty and research center; extend inclusive hiring obligations to include early childhood and school education; and establish an Inclusive Certification Seal along with institutional protocols to monitor and promote inclusive academic policies. These measures align with international best practices and seek to foster an equitable and democratic higher education system.

Keywords

Disability , Academic Employment , Professional Inclusion , Inclusive Certification , Inclusive Regulation

Ethical Statement

This study is an original article conducted with document analysis; thereby, no requirement for ethical approval process.

Supporting Institution

No funding was received from any institution or organization for this study.

Thanks

---

References

• Apablaza, M. (2018). Inclusion in education, occupational marginalization and apartheid: An analysis of Chilean education policies. Journal of Occupational Science, 25(4), 450-462. https://doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2018.1487260
• Arellano Cárdenas, P., & Herrera Fernández, V. (2024). Inclusión de estudiantes con discapacidad en la educación superior en Chile: alcances y desafíos [inclusion of students with disabilities in higher education in Chile: Scope and challenges]. Revista Estudios de Políticas Públicas, 10(1), 41-52. https://doi.org/10.5354/0719-6296.2024.73176
• Bê, A. (2019). Ableism and disablism in higher education: The case of two students living with chronic illnesses. Alter, 13(3), 179–191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.alter.2019.03.004
• Bernaschina, D. (2023a). Derecho a la accesibilidad laboral en el sistema educativo Chileno para docentes escolares/universitarios con discapacidad [The right to job accessibility in the Chilean educational system for school/university teachers with disabilities]. 593 Digital Publisher CEIT, 8(6), 225-235. https://doi.org/10.33386/593dp.2023.6.2102
• Bernaschina, D. (2023b). Ausencia de la mediación inclusiva para estudiantes y docentes con discapacidad sensorial en las escuelas públicas-privadas en Chile [Absence of inclusive mediation for students and teachers with sensory disabilities in public-private schools in Chile]. Foro Educacional, (41), 47-78. https://doi.org/10.29344/07180772.41.3363
• Brown, N., & Ramlackhan, K. (2022). Exploring experiences of ableism in academia: A constructivist inquiry. Higher Education, 83(6), 1225-1239. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-021-00739-y
• Camacho Marín, R. J., Chamorro Rogel, G. C., Mejía Báez, C. J., Tuqueres Suntaxi, J. A., Pazmiño Salazar, J. A., & Delgado Falcones, H. A. (2023). Perspectivas y desafíos de la inclusión de personas con discapacidad en la educación superior: Avances y oportunidades [Perspectives and challenges of the inclusion of people with disabilities in higher education: Advances and opportunities]. Revista InveCom, 4(1), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10051169
• Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing Grounded Theory. SAGE Publications.
• Cox, C. (2016). Teacher education in Chile: Trends in social and policy pressures for change and evolution of its organisational and knowledge bases. In B. Moon (Ed.), Do universities have a role in the education and training of teachers (pp. 187-212). Cambridge University Press.
• Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications.
• Dolmage, J. T. (2017). Academic ableism: Disability and higher education. University of Michigan Press. https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.9708722
• Espinoza, O. (2008). Creating (in)equalities in access to higher education in the context of structural adjustment and post-adjustment policies: the case of Chile. Higher Education, 55(3), 269-284. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-007-9054-8
• Eurydice. (n.d.). Support measures for learners in higher education: Spain. https://eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/national-education-systems/spain/support-measures-learners-higher-education
• Fajardo, M. S. (2017). La educación superior inclusiva en algunos países de Latinoamérica: Avances, obstáculos y retos [Inclusive higher education in some Latin American Countries: Progress, obstacles and challenges]. Revista Latinoamericana de Educación Inclusiva, 11(1), 171-197. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-73782017000100011
• González, P., & Espinoza, V. (2020). El financiamiento de la educación superior y el rol del Estado: tensiones y propuestas [Higher education and the role of the state: Tensions and proposals]. In M. Dávila, P. Díaz-Romero, J. Ensignia, O. Espinoza, H. Frigolett, E. Gerber, L. E. González, A. Infante, F. Liberona, D. Namuncura, L. Navarro, R. Orellana, E. Rivera, A. Rodríguez, P. Rodríguez, M. Scantlebury, R. Urriola, & A. Varas (Ed.), La demanda ciudadana por una nueva democracia Chile y el 18/O (pp. 141-164). Barómetro de Política y Equidad. https://www.equidadeneducacion.cl/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Barometro16-007GonzalezyEspinozaFinanciamientoESTensionesyDesafos.pdf
• Government of Canada. (n.d.). Employment Equity Act (S.C. 1995, c. 44). https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/E-5.401/
• Government of Canada. (2022). Disability Inclusion Action Plan – 2022 annual report. https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/disability-inclusion-action-plan/action-plan-2022.html
• Government of Canada. (2024a). Disability Inclusion Action Plan – 2024 annual report. https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/disability-inclusion-action-plan/reports/annual-2024.html
• Government of Canada. (2024b). Employment Strategy for Canadians with Disabilities. https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/disability-inclusion-action-plan/employment-strategy.html
• Holm-Nielsen, L. B., Thorn, K., Brunner, J. J., & Balán, J. (2005). Regional and international challenges to higher education in Latin America. In I. C. De Wit, H. Jaramillo, J. Gacel-Ávila, & J. Knight (Eds.), Higher Education in Latin America: The International Dimension (pp. 39-70). The World Bank. http://erasmusplusriesal.org/sites/default/files/3.1_higher_education_in_latin_america.pdf#page=69
• Library of the National Congress of Chile. (2010, February 10). Ley N° 20.422: Establece normas sobre igualdad de oportunidades e inclusion social de personas con discapacidad [Law No. 20.422: Establishes norms on equal opportunities and social inclusion of persons with disabilities]. https://www.bcn.cl/leychile/navegar?idNorma=1010903
• Library of the National Congress of Chile. (2017, June 15). Ley N° 21.015: Incentiva la inclusión de personas con discapacidad al mercado laboral [Law No. 21.015: Promotes the inclusion of people with disabilities in the labor market]. https://www.bcn.cl/leychile/navegar?idNorma=1103997
• Library of the National Congress of Chile. (2024, August 24). Ley N° 21.690: Introduce modificaciones al Código del Trabajo y otros cuerpos legales en materia de inclusión laboral de personas con discapacidad y asignatarias de pensión de invalidez [Law No. 21.690: Introduces amendments to the Labor Code and other legal frameworks regarding labor inclusion of persons with disabilities and recipients of disability pensions.] https://www.bcn.cl/leychile/navegar?idNorma=1206100
• Lizama, O., Gil, F. J., & Rahmer, B. (2018). La experiencia de la inclusión en la educación superior en Chile [The experience of inclusion in higher education in Chile] (2nd Ed.). Editorial Universidad de Santiago. https://www.paiep.usach.cl/sites/paiep/files/documentos/EXPERIENCIA_DE_LA_INCLUSION_LIV-ilovepdf-compressed.pdf
• Matear, A. (2006). Barriers to equitable access: Higher education policy and practice in Chile since 1990. Higher Education Policy, 19(1), 31-49. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.hep.8300114
• Navarro Ortega, D., & Gárate Vergara, F. (Eds.). (2023). Experiencias inclusivas en la educación superior chilena [Inclusive experiences in Chilean higher education]. OEI. https://oei.int/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/experiencias-inclusivas-en-la-educacion-superior-chilena-final.pdf
• Moriña, A. (2017). Inclusive education in higher education: challenges and opportunities. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 32(1), 3-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2016.1254964
• Oliver, M. (2018). Understanding disability: From theory to practice (2nd ed.). Bloomsbury Publishing.
• Palacios, A., & Romañach, J. (2008). El modelo de la diversidad: una nueva visión de la bioética desde la perspectiva de las personas con diversidad funcional (discapacidad) [The model of diversity: A new vision of bioethics from the perspective of people with functional diversity (disability)]. Intersticios: Revista sociológica de pensamiento crítico, 2(2), 33-47. https://intersticios.es/article/view/2712
• Pinilla-Roncancio, M., & Rodríguez Caicedo, N. (2022). Legislation on disability and employment: To what extent are employment rights guaranteed for persons with disabilities? International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(9), Article 5654. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095654
• Roulstone, A., & Barnes, C. (Eds.). (2005). Working futures? Disabled people, policy and social inclusion. Policy Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt9qgsms
• Salmi, J., & D’Addio, A. (2021). Policies for achieving inclusion in higher education. Policy Reviews in Higher Education, 5(1), 47-72. https://doi.org/10.1080/23322969.2020.1835529
• Shakespeare, T. (2017). Disability: The Basics. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315624839
• Solís-García, P., Barreiro-Collazo, A., Rodríguez-Correa, M., Delgado-Rico, E., & Real-Castelao, S. (2025). Inclusion of students with disabilities in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA): A systematic review. Cogent Education, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2024.2430880
• Titchkosky, T. (2011). The question of access: Disability, space, meaning. University of Toronto Press.
• United Nations. (2006). Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities.html
• Universidad Andrés Bello. (2023, June 14). Universidad Andrés Bello Launches new observatory for inclusion with government announcement about 2024 census. https://noticias.unab.cl/universidad-andres-bello-launches-new-observatory-for-inclusion-with-government-announcement-about-2024-census/
• Villouta, E. V., & Villarreal, E. T. (2022). University access policies for persons with disabilities: Lessons from two Chilean universities. International Journal of Educational Development, 91, Article 102577. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2022.102577
• Yañez, R., & Zúñiga, Y. (2018). The law and occupational justice: Inputs for the understanding of disability in Chile. Journal of Occupational Science, 25(4), 520-529. https://doi.org/10.1080/14427591.2018.1522945