Listening to Engineering Students with Disabilities: Qualitative Insights Towards Academic Equity and Inclusivity in the Era of Digital Transformation

Abstract

Ensuring equitable participation of students with disabilities in engineering education remains a persistent challenge despite extensive inclusion frameworks and expanding support services. This study provides qualitative insights into domain-specific barriers these students face during their studies and early employment, and examines their readiness to adopt artificial-intelligence–based tools within an academic accommodation process. Thirteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with current and recently graduated engineering students with disabilities, representing diverse mobility, sensory, cognitive, and communication profiles. Reflexive thematic analysis revealed dominant barriers in both study and work contexts. While students expressed a strong preference for human counselling, they also recognized the value of AI tools for selected tasks. Findings highlight the continuing implementation gap between formal inclusion policies and everyday practice, and suggest that combining human support with carefully targeted AI solutions offers a feasible pathway toward more equitable, efficient, and individualized accommodation processes in engineering education.