A EDUCAÇÃO INCLUSIVA NO CONTEXTO MUNICIPAL DE FORTALEZA: ENTRE DESAFIOS E POSSIBILIDADES

Abstract

This dissertation, developed within the Graduate Program in Management and Regional Development at the Centro Universitário do Sul de Minas (UNIS-MG), and linked to Research Line II – Educational Processes and Development, analyzes the perceptions, expectations, and challenges experienced by teachers and mothers of children with disabilities regarding the implementation of inclusive education in a municipal school in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil, relating this reality to regional development. Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of inclusive education, the social model of disability, and intersectionality, the study assumes that school inclusion processes are shaped by multiple social markers, including disability, gender, socioeconomic conditions, and access to public policies. This qualitative research employed oral history interviews with nine participants: four mothers of students with disabilities, four regular classroom teachers, and one Special Education Service (AEE) teacher. Data were analyzed through triangulation, integrating theoretical, contextual, and empirical dimensions. The findings reveal that mothers place high expectations on the school as a promoter of their children's integral development. However, their experiences are marked by social vulnerability, caregiving burdens, and limitations associated with economic conditions. Teachers recognize the importance of inclusive education and collaborative planning between regular classrooms and specialized educational support services, while also highlighting challenges related to continuing professional development, workload, insufficient resources, and structural and institutional barriers. The study further demonstrates that family-school relationships are essential for the effective implementation of inclusion, although they are influenced by social inequalities that limit families' active participation in the educational process. The research concludes that the consolidation of inclusive practices requires coordinated actions among schools, families, and the State, as well as investments in teacher education, accessibility, strengthening of Specialized Educational Services (AEE), and the expansion of social protection policies. From an intersectional perspective, school inclusion cannot be understood solely through the lens of disability but must also consider the multiple inequalities that shape individuals' lives. In this sense, the effective implementation of inclusive education contributes to regional development by expanding educational opportunities, strengthening citizenship, promoting social inclusion, and improving public policies aimed at people with disabilities and their families.