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

TL;DR

This autoethnographic study explores the experiences of a blind student in Chinese higher education, revealing systemic ableism and proposing access as an ongoing, complex practice within such structures.

Contribution

It provides an in-depth autoethnographic account of ableist challenges in Chinese higher education and conceptualizes access as a dynamic, ongoing process.

Findings

Blind students face systemic ableism and resource limitations.

Mainstream and specialized institutions impose sighted norms.

Access is a contradictory, ongoing practice within ableist structures.

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.