Dreams Unbound: Narratives of Determination, Institutional Constraints, and Support Mechanisms Among Students with Physical Disabilities

Abstract

Students with physical disabilities continue to face persistent systemic barriers in higher education, where structural, attitudinal, and institutional constraints limit full participation. This study explores the lived experiences and narratives of determination among eight students with physical disabilities enrolled in the University of Antique system. Guided by a narrative inquiry approach, it investigates how determination is constructed, sustained, and enacted amid institutional and social challenges. Data were generated through in-depth semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Colaizzi’s descriptive phenomenological method, ensuring a rigorous, systematic interpretation of participants’ authentic experiences. Analysis revealed five central themes: (1) unyielding determination to succeed, shaped by intrinsic motivation and self-advocacy; (2) strength derived from supportive relationships with family, peers, and faculty; (3) moments of exclusion amid inclusion, reflecting gaps between institutional commitments and lived realities; (4) daily struggles with mobility and access, highlighting infrastructural and logistical barriers; and (5) faith as a source of resilience, providing meaning, strength, and social belonging. Findings indicate that while participants demonstrate resilience, their educational pursuits often entail emotional and physical challenges exacerbated by systemic barriers. Promoting authentic inclusion requires reforms in infrastructure, policy, and pedagogy grounded in universal design principles. This study contributes to advancing inclusive education in the Philippine context by emphasizing systemic, context-responsive interventions that enable students with physical disabilities to thrive academically, socially, and holistically across diverse learning environments.