VOICES FROM THE MARGINS: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXPLORATION OF HOW STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES CONSTRUCT ACADEMIC IDENTITY IN PAKISTANI UNIVERSITIES

411 Publisher : EDUCATION GENIUS SOLUTIONS Review Type: Double Blind Peer Review Dr. Tahira Batool Bokhari Associate Professor, Department of Education, Government College for Women, Jhang, [email protected] Dr. Yasira Waqar Professor, Department of Education, University of Management and Technology, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. [email protected] Dr. Faisal Anis Assistant Professor, Department of Education, University of Management and Technology, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. [email protected] Vol. 3 No.2 2025 VOICES FROM THE MARGINS: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL EXPLORATION OF HOW STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES CONSTRUCT ACADEMIC IDENTITY IN PAKISTANI UNIVERSITIES Research Consortium Archive P(ISSN) : 3007-0031 E(ISSN) : 3007-004X https://rc-archive.com/index.php/Journal/about 412 This study investigates the academic identity development of disabled students in Pakistani universities in environments that typically exclude them. The implementation of the HEC Policy for Students with Disabilities has not eliminated the major obstacles preventing students with disabilities from achieving full academic citizenship status. Through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the research gathered data from 19 students with varying disabilities who were studying in higher education at different levels. The study identified five central elements: students' physical and structural barrier management, social isolation experiences, belonging dynamics, faculty relations, identity development methods, and resilience formation processes. Through purposeful self-disclosure, students built academic identities and controlled their participation levels to create networking alternatives as part of their agency. This research enhances knowledge about disabilities in Pakistani university environments and advocates for targeted interventions through faculty training, peer mentoring, and institutional policy modifications to promote academic citizenship acceptance among diverse learners. Keyword: Disability, Academic Identity, Citizenship, Inclusion, Higher Education, Marginalization, Pakistani Universities Introduction Higher education in Pakistan contains numerous obstacles for disabled students, who represent an extremely disadvantaged student population in the national educational system. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) ratification by Pakistan in 2011, together with its resulting policy development, has not eliminated the obstacles impeding students with disabilities from fully participating in their academic pursuits. Current data reveal that the disabled population amounts to roughly 15%, but enrolment in higher education stands at well under 0.5% of the total population (Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, 2023). The Higher Education Commission's "Policy for Students with Disabilities at Higher Education Institutions in Pakistan" (Commission, 2021) represents an important policy step toward inclusivity. Policies related to students with disabilities in Pakistani universities fail to match the actual experiences of these students in Pakistani universities. Research lacks sufficient understanding of how people with disabilities experience higher education while developing their academic personalities in difficult learning environments. Scholars have documented existing structural educational barriers, including inaccessible campuses, unfit learning resources, and a shortage of skilled professors in the field of education. However, further studies are needed to fully understand these journeys. ABSTRACT 413 This study analysed the experiences of students with disabilities at Pakistani universities to fill this knowledge gap. This study investigates how learning-disabled students cognitively interpret educational activities, balance their scholarly identities, and maintain citizenship roles despite university environments that typically push them outside the mainstream. This study used phenomenological analysis to create substantial knowledge about the development of academic identities emerging from marginalised situations. The findings of this study create opportunities for developing educational systems that better recognise the heterogeneous requirements of students with disabilities. This study promotes students' voices to dismantle traditional deficit views of disability while demonstrating their capability to shape their academic identity regardless of institutional barriers. This study addresses the following research question: 1. How do students with disabilities interpret and make meaning of their educational experiences in Pakistani universities? 2. What processes do these students engage in to develop a sense of academic belonging or non-belonging? 3. What strategies do they employ to navigate academic citizenship in environments in which they experience marginalisation? 4. How are their academic identities influenced by interactions with peers, faculty, institutional policies, and broader societal attitudes toward disabilities? Literature Review Disability Studies in Higher Education Globally Global scholarly research on disability in higher education has shown significant development, shifting from medical and charitybased approaches to social and rights-based models since 2017 (Moriña, 2017). Three main hurdles have been found in the educational experience of people with disabilities in different geographical contexts: physical barriers, discriminatory attitudes, and sparse institutional backing (Grimes et al., 2019). Existing research has examined how students exercise self-agency while devising resistance methods and forming their academic identities (Cunnah, 2015). The research demonstrates that educational settings may either block or make way for students with disabilities to build positive academic identities through inclusive teaching methods, universal learning designs, and appreciative institutional frameworks that encourage diversity (Vaccaro et al., 2015). Academic Identity Construction for Marginalized Groups Individuals develop their academic identity by merging their perceptions of themselves in educational settings with their perceptions of themselves as learners. Academic identity formation 414 is more difficult for marginalised students because they endure discrimination and structural barriers. Studies of academic identity development demonstrate that marginalised students engage in complex identity-building activities through strategic performance acts, language and information adjustments, and selective sharing behaviours. Significant evidence shows that educational environments shape these identification processes because inclusive educational spaces lead students to develop more positive academic identities, whereas exclusionary contexts force them to employ protective measures (Riddell & Weedon, 2014). Educational Policies for Students with Disabilities in Pakistan Pakistan has significantly progressed in its disability inclusion policies in education but faces difficulties in implementing these framework strategies in practice. Pakistan’s educational policy for students with disabilities is based on three main documents: the National Policy for Persons with Disabilities (Ministry of Women Development, 2002), Special Citizens Act (Pakistan, 2008), and HEC Policy for Students with Disabilities (Commission, 2021). Approved disability policies require accessible infrastructure and offer reasonable accommodations and equal educational possibilities. Existing research shows that the policy's implementation faces significant obstacles because of funding limitations, inadequate awareness levels, and institutional resource distribution problems (Hameed & Manzoor, 2016, 2019). Educational policies exhibit contradictory patterns by using progressive statements but achieving minimal implementation, thus complicating the educational journey of students. 3.4 Barriers to Inclusion in Pakistani Universities According to research studies, several obstacles stand in the way of students with disabilities in higher education in Pakistan. Building accommodations in Pakistani universities remain largely out of reach because accessible features, including ramps, elevators, and accessible washrooms, are scarce (Hameed & Manzoor, 2016, 2019). The implementation of instruction becomes a barrier because teachers use rigid teaching styles, learning content that remains unavailable, and testing practices that neglect diverse student needs. Students encounter social obstacles because peers tend to stigmatise them, isolating them from normal school activities (Hammad & Singal, 2015). Staff members at educational institutions do not receive proper training in inclusive education; thus, they make discriminatory mistakes by making inappropriate demands and failing to supply valid adjustments (Muhammad et al., 2024; Waqar et al., 2025). Students face tough environments because of multiple barriers that hinder their academic identity development (Rajpoot et al., 2021). Gaps in Current Research on Disability Experiences in Pakistan The increasing Pakistani interest in disability studies research has 415 not filled the critical gaps that exist in academia. Research on disability in higher education has mainly examined statistical data on prevalence while analysing policies and identifying institutional barriers, although the lived experiences of students remain understudied (Singal, 2016). The lack of phenomenological research on students with disabilities who maintain their voices to understand their identity development is evident. Psychological disabilities, including learning disabilities, chronic health conditions, and mental health challenges, receive little scholarly research focus, despite the majority of studies concentrating on visible physical disabilities. This research fills the identified knowledge gaps through an IPA study that examines the personal perspectives and identity development of disabled university students within Pakistani educational institutions. Theoretical Framework Social Model of Disability This investigation follows the social model of disability, which explains that disability develops through a combination of people who have impairments and structural obstacles blocking their social inclusion. Under the social model of disability, scientists recognise that medical approaches which identify disability within the body create problems by positioning disability as a social creation generated by physical barriers combined with attitudinal discrimination and institutional limitations. The analytical framework enables researchers to evaluate how Pakistani highereducation institutions generate disability because of physical limitations within spaces, rigid program structures, and discriminatory cultural traditions. The social model enables researchers to examine how students interact with obstacles through identity-making processes that incorporate their physical impairments (Shakespeare, 2014). Identity Formation Theories in Educational Contexts The analysis draws on theories of identity formation in educational contexts, particularly Wenger's (1998) communities of practice framework and Gee's (2000) perspective on identity as recognition. Identity development occurs because students engage in social activities under specific conditions, alongside how society recognises their participation. Students with disabilities face challenges when building their academic identity because they need to find their role in the university and get recognised as legitimate participants despite being treated as outsiders. This study finds out how students manage to feel part of education in settings that do not always accept or understand them positively. Academic Citizenship Concept Using academic citizenship, it becomes easier to see what is expected of students with disabilities and how they join the 416 community at university. Those three things, covered by Macfarlane's (2007), make up academic citizenship: rights as a member, dedication to campus life, and a feeling of belonging on campus. People with disabilities must overcome obstacles to join and oppose discrimination to enjoy equal rights as members of academic communities. Despite these limitations, the framework permits researchers to investigate how marginal students practice citizenship and the ways they use to have more rights and opportunities. Intersectionality in Disability Studies Researchers have selected an intersectional perspective for disability identity research because experiences of disability develop through associations between gender, socioeconomic status, and geographical region, as noted by Crenshaw (1991) and Moodley and Graham (2015). To study disability experiences in Pakistan, one needs to use an intersectional approach because of how women’s roles, as well as socioeconomic differences, influence education in both cities and rural areas. With the analytical model, researchers can notice the effects of different identity parts that contribute to students’ marginalised status in the school environment and still find solutions that lessen the impact of disabilities. Methodology Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Rationale This research study used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)—a Smith et al.'s (2009) framework as its methodological framework. The researchers selected IPA because it studies the development of meaning in people’s lives, especially among disabled students in higher education. Before finding common trends among the subjects, the research learned about what happened in each person’s life. This strategy gave the researchers a chance to understand the individual academic identity development of disabled students studying at Pakistani universities in depth. Participant Selection and Demographics Purposive sampling methods yielded twenty-three participants who represented students with different disability types and academic disciplines at various institutional levels. The participants included both male and female students. The research utilised three inclusion criteria to select participants who (1) considered themselves disabled, (2) were undergraduate or graduate students at Pakistani academic institutions, and (3) had spent at least one educational year at their university. Nineteen participants took part in the research, consisting of seven students with physical disabilities, four with visual impairments, three with hearing impairments, three with learning disabilities, and two with chronic health problems. Ten participants were female and nine were male. The ages of the participants ranged from nineteen to thirty-one years. Four 417 universities located in the Punjab province included 13 public institution participants and six participants from private institutions. Data Collection Methods The researcher gathered primary data by conducting two interview sessions with each participant between September 2024 and January 2025. Participants had two interview sessions which included a primary session lasting between 50 and 70 minutes to discuss education experiences and identity, followed by a second session lasting 45 to 60 minutes to investigate developing concepts and interpret participant responses. Participants had the freedom to choose their preferred language between Urdu and English, as well as their preferred location to be either on campus, online, or in any accessible setting. The participants granted permission to record their interviews which were later transcribed verbatim. The researcher collected additional information through participant-run reflective journals which participants could choose to use, and through notes that recorded observations of context and reflective insights. Interview Protocol The researchers built an interview protocol through the research literature and main questions before conducting two practice interviews with disabled students who validated the methodology and question approach. The interview questions in the final protocol addressed six areas, including participants' experiences in university education and their descriptions of student identity, their interactions with faculty, peers, and administrators, academic space inclusion and exclusion, barrier navigation strategies, and future academic plans. Follow-up probes helped participants expand their responses regarding their emotional states and the ways they interpreted experiences while detailing their personal identity impact. Data Analysis Process Data analysis followed Smith et al.'s (2009) six-step IPA process: (1) reading and re-reading transcripts to immerse in participants' accounts; (2) initial noting of descriptive, linguistic, and conceptual comments; (3) developing emergent themes for each transcript; (4) identifying connections across emergent themes within individual cases; (5) moving to the next case and repeating steps 1-4; and (6) identifying patterns across cases. The researcher used NVivo 15 for data organisation and coding. The analyst reviewed each transcript independently before cross-case theme comparisons were made to preserve the idiographic emphasis of IPA. The study concentrated on how participants traced common aspects while also showing dissimilarities in their experiences, primarily exploring how students built and managed their academic identities. 418 Ethical Considerations and Researcher Positionality The research incorporated multiple ethical measures, such as accessible consent acquisition and anonymity with pseudonyms and detail removal, along with early disclosure of interview questions and support for accessibility requirements and psychological assistance referral systems. As non-disabled educational researchers, the investigators recognised possible power disparities which required continuous professional reflection using a reflexive journal combined with ongoing peer discussion with a research colleague who has a disability and participant member checks to validate the understanding of their experiences. Findings Theme 1: Navigating Physical and Structural Barriers Participants consistently described how physical infrastructure and institutional practices created significant barriers to academic participation. For participants with mobility impairments, inaccessible buildings forced complex daily navigation. Farah, a wheelchair user studying economics, explained, "I have to plan my entire schedule around accessible classrooms. Sometimes, I miss important classes because they are on the third floor with no elevator. It makes me feel like the university wasn't built with people like me in mind." Similarly, Ahmed, who uses crutches, described arriving early to secure accessible seating: " I am always the first one in class and the last to leave. It's the only way I can manage the physical space without drawing attention." Inaccessible learning materials create additional barriers. Visually impaired students reported the limited availability of screen-readercompatible materials, while deaf students noted the absence of sign language interpretation. Zainab, a student with a visual impairment, shared: "Most professors distribute PDF handouts that my screen reader cannot process. Every day is a negotiation just to access the basic materials my classmates take for granted." These structural barriers required participants to expend significant time and energy on basic academic access, affecting how they viewed themselves as students: "Half my identity as a student is being a problem-solver, finding workarounds just to do what other students do automatically" (Usman, hearing impaired). Theme 2: Experiences of Social Isolation and Belonging The participants’ narratives revealed complex experiences of social positioning within academic communities. Many described profound isolation resulting from physical segregation and social exclusion. Sara, a student with cerebral palsy, explained, "Group work is particularly difficult. Students do not choose me for their groups— they see my disability before they see my abilities. I've learned to work alone even though it affects my grades." This exclusion affected students' sense of belonging within academic communities, with several describing themselves as "perpetual outsiders" or 419 "observers rather than participants" in university life. However, participants disabilities also emphasised joining disability-centred groups or finding one or more individuals who supported them. Sharing her learning struggles with other students made everything better for Mehwish: “We have formed a group where people are free to talk about their strengths and weaknesses without fear of being judged.” Such networks provided useful aid and allowed students to create positive views of their academic selves. It was interesting to see that a number of the participants described switching between participating in mainstream activities and separating themselves according to their needs. Theme 3: Faculty Interactions and Classroom Experiences The faculty’s behaviour and attitudes played a strong role in the students’ development of their academic identity. Participants narrated a range of behaviours, from helpful assistance to clear discrimination by faculty members. Positive interactions involved the faculty’s ability to adjust their teaching methods without making the course easier. Bilal detailed that the professor of research methods worked harder to explain things and even allowed her students to record the classes: “She recognized my strengths rather than paying attention to my weaknesses, which made a huge difference in my view of myself as a student.” Conversely, there are times when faculty members doubt students’ skills or consider accommodations to be special treatment. As someone with a constant health problem, Ayesha said that, during a flare-up, one professor referred to students who got deadline extensions as being dishonest, even though she herself requested that: “It made me feel very embarrassed and doubt if I can thrive in academia.” Their interactions greatly determined whether participants felt capable and welcome at school. Some students revealed that they created planned approaches for speaking to faculty, selected a few professors to talk about their special needs, provided documentation in support of their case, and better proved their understanding in classes before asking for any help. Theme 4: Identity Negotiation Strategies The participants showed how they managed their school roles in challenging environments. Now, students prefer to carefully reveal their disabilities based on what is happening at the time and what the goals are. Hassan, like many people with an invisible condition, always assesses the advantages and disadvantages before telling people: “At times, I tell everyone in my class about my disability; at other times, I do not mention it.” By doing so, participants used their agency when presenting their identity to others. Using this strategy, disability was portrayed as a source of strengths and new ideas. Being deaf since her childhood, Nadia realized that her experience helped her perform better in school: “Being alert to little details is possible because I am always analysing images and 426 duration from entry to completion. A comparative research design studying various institutional types, including public and private sectors, urban and rural locations, and specialised and comprehensive institutions, would expose how institutional environments affect the disability experience and identity projects of students. Research that focuses on studying students with minority disability types, including intellectual and psychosocial disabilities, would fill knowledge gaps about their educational experiences. Moreover, research on the intersection of disability with other identity criteria (gender, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity) throughout Pakistani educational spaces would foster a better understanding of the aggregated marginalisation effects on students. In addition, participatory action research programs that engage students with disabilities as co-researchers would improve research methods and offer useful recommendations for institutional transformation. Conclusion This research tracks the complex ways in which students with disabilities navigate educational environments in Pakistani universities to define their academic identity. The data show that these students must constantly adapt to physical obstacles, institutional systems, and social contexts which exclude them from traditional university student roles. The constraints of their educational environment did not stop participants from developing substantial academic identities through intentional practices of visibility control and disability recontextualization, as well as establishing different spaces for belonging. This research delivers various significant findings about disability experiences in Pakistani higher education. Student perspectives function as the central approach in this investigation, highlighting the educational realities of marginalised education participants. The research demonstrates advanced identity-building practices that go against traditional deficit models of disabilities because students actively form their academic profiles instead of remaining in assigned slots. By identifying particular institutional practices, this study provides specific guidance which administrators and policymakers can use to enhance academic identity formation. The research outcomes provide essential knowledge regarding the definition of academic citizenship and university inclusion strategies within Pakistani academic settings. To create meaningful inclusion, universities must address the unnoticeable communication that academic areas use to determine academic ownership by establishing more than merely accessible facilities and procedures. Academic citizenship equality for students with disabilities requires universities to implement changes on four levels: physical structures, policy systems, teaching practices, and social-structural components that accept different learning styles as valid academic community contributions. 427 This study highlights how developing academic self-identity exists as an active developmental progression which is created by academic structures alongside individual freedom. Academic identity establishment for students with disabilities in Pakistani universities requires them to move toward the centre without relinquishing their fight against educational marginalisation. These pathways demonstrate essential knowledge which benefits disability inclusion efforts while showing how universities should support varied human possibilities at all levels. References Blockmans, I. G. E. (2015). “Not Wishing to Be the White Rhino in the Crowd”:Disability-Disclosure at University. 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