Access in the Shadow of Ableism: An Autoethnography of a Blind Student's Higher Education Experience in China

2026-02-17

AI Summary

This study examines the institutional barriers and systemic marginalization faced by blind students within the ableist structures of Chinese higher education. Drawing on autobiographical ethnography, the author analyzes their own educational experiences at both a specialized institution for visually impaired students and a mainstream university, employing a critical disability studies lens to reveal how resources, institutional cultures, and policies across these settings collectively produce structural exclusion. Moving beyond technocentric approaches to accessibility, the research reconceptualizes “accessibility” not as a fixed accommodation but as a contested and ongoing practice of negotiation and resistance within ableist frameworks. In doing so, it advances a theoretical reimagining of accessibility that foregrounds its inherently political and dynamic nature in challenging entrenched norms of ability and inclusion in higher education.

Technology Category

• Humans and AI: AI for Accessibility
• Computer Vision: Bias, Fairness & Privacy
• Philosophy and Ethics of AI: Bias, Fairness & Equity

Application Category

• Responsible Web: Measurement, analysis, and circumvention of Web censorship
• Security and Privacy: Data transparency and provenance
• User Modeling, Personalization and Recommendation: Accountability, Transparency, and Ethics for personalization

Abstract

The HCI research community has witnessed a growing body of research on accessibility and disability driven by efforts to improve access. Yet, the concept of access reveals its limitations when examined within broader ableist structures. Drawing on an autoethnographic method, this study shares the co-first author Zhang's experiences at two higher-education institutions in China, including a specialized program exclusively for blind and low-vision students and a mainstream university where he was the first blind student admitted. Our analysis revealed tensions around access in both institutions: they either marginalized blind students within society at large or imposed pressures to conform to sighted norms. Both institutions were further constrained by systemic issues, including limited accessible resources, pervasive ableist cultures, and the lack of formalized policies. In response to these tensions, we conceptualize access as a contradictory construct and argue for understanding accessibility as an ongoing, exploratory practice within ableist structures.

Problem

• accessibility
• ableism
• higher education
• blind students
• autoethnography

Innovation

• autoethnography
• ableism
• accessibility
• higher education
• disability studies