Inclusive education
challenges of including students with disabilities in mainstream schools
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57108/iesj.2026.6-2.22Keywords:
inclusive education, students with disabilities, mainstream schools, accessibility, teacher educationAbstract
This article analyzes the main challenges that shape the inclusion of students with disabilities in regular schools, considering not only access to enrollment but also the conditions for permanence, participation, and learning. An integrative literature review was conducted using a qualitative, descriptive, and analytical approach, covering the period from 2016 to 2026. Searches were carried out in August 2026 in SciELO, ERIC, and Google Scholar, complemented by institutional documents from UNESCO, the Brazilian National Institute for Educational Studies and Research Anísio Teixeira, and the Ministry of Education. Portuguese and English descriptors related to inclusive education, disability, mainstream schools, barriers to inclusion, teacher education, Universal Design for Learning, and school management were combined. The analytical corpus comprised twelve scientific and institutional documents directly related to the research problem. Findings were organized into four axes: expansion of enrollment and the gap between access and learning; teacher education, attitudes, and school culture; curriculum, accessibility, and pedagogical strategies; and management, specialized educational support, and collaborative work. Results show a substantial increase in the presence of special education students in mainstream classes, while also indicating that effective inclusion depends on consistent professional development, accessible planning, coordination between general and special education, institutional support, adequate resources, and the removal of attitudinal and curricular barriers. It is concluded that school inclusion cannot be reduced to the physical presence of students in mainstream classrooms; it requires pedagogical and institutional reorganization guided by the right to learn.
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