Acessibilidade e inclusão: a eficácia do Programa Escola Acessível em escolas das Redes Municipal e Estadual de Salvador, Bahia, Brasil

Abstract

This research had as object of study the Accessible School Program (ASP), created by the federal government to ensure that students with disabilities, global development disorders and high abilities/gift enrolled in regular classes, have the right to share the learning spaces through access to the physical environment, to teaching and learning resources and to communication and information. The main goal was to evaluate the efficacy of ASP in the perspective of space accessibility for students with physical disability, who use wheelchairs, in municipal and state schools of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. The field of investigation was limited to two teaching units, one municipal and one state. The methodology was qualitative, through descriptive approach. The techniques to collect data were: document analysis of the legal and educational basis for the implementation of the program. Among them, Decree 5.296/2004, which regulates the Laws 10.048/2000 and 10.098/2000 and states the basic criteria to promote accessibility for people with disabilities or reduced mobility. ABNT NBR 9050 was also studied, as it addresses building accessibility, furniture, spaces and urban equipments. A questionnaire was conducted with eleven people: 2 school managers, 4 students’ mothers, 1 female student, 3 child development helpers and 1 civil engineer. At last, participative observation was conducted through tables adapted by the researcher from the Manual de Acessibilidade Espacial para Escolas: o direito à escola acessível, published by MEC (DISCHINGER; BINS ELY; BORGES, 2009) to evaluate the conditions for direction, mobility and use in the surroundings and inside areas of the schools. As theoretical basis, the theoretical premises which guide the efficacy evaluation of the ASP were searched. From a critical analysis, the obstacles that impair or hinder people with disabilities from safe access, movement, circulation and possibility to communicate or access information were identified. Thus, the inefficacy of the ASP was recognized. Suggestions were also made for it to reach its goals. The efficacy evaluation of the ASP allowed the understanding of how its goals are met, highlighting its importance in the guarantee of fundamental rights of students with disabilities and in the promotion of the democratic State.