INSTITUTIONALIZING ACCESSIBILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION: A CASE-BASED ANALYSIS OF SOCIAL DIMENSION AND EQUITY POLICIES AT USAK UNIVERSITY

OpenAlex Turkish

Accessibility has become a central component of the social dimension and equity agendas of higher education. However, existing research has largely focused on physical accessibility, individual barriers, and the experiences of students with disabilities, while comparatively limited attention has been devoted to accessibility as an institutional governance issue. Addressing this gap, this study examines how accessibility is conceptualized, institutionalized, and governed at Usak University. The study adopts a qualitative case study design based on thematic document analysis. Data were collected from strategic plans, annual activity reports, Disabled Student Unit documents, quality assurance records, and official institutional sources. The analysis focused on three dimensions of accessibility: physical, academic, and institutional/governance-related. The findings indicate that academic accessibility is more systematically institutionalized than physical and social accessibility because it is more closely linked to the core functions of higher education institutions. Physical and social accessibility, by contrast, requires broader coordination, infrastructural investment, and long-term planning. The study further demonstrates that incentive-based mechanisms contribute to awareness and localized improvements but are insufficient to ensure long-term institutionalization. The findings reveal a governance gap between accessibility achievements and their integration into institutional governance structures. The study contributes to literature by conceptualizing accessibility as a governance and policy issue rather than solely a technical or service-related concern. It concludes that sustainable accessibility depends on its integration into institutional missions, strategic planning processes, monitoring systems, and accountability mechanisms.