Advancing equity and accessibility of students and staff with dis/abilities in higher arts education institutions: A multiple case study from the standpoint of negotiation

My doctoral research examines the realisation of equality, accessibility, and physical and structural accessibility for persons with disabilities in higher arts education in Finland and internationally. The main research question is: What kinds of barriers do persons with disabilities encounter in higher arts education in relation to equality and accessibility? The sub-questions address admissions and entrance examinations in higher arts education, international comparisons of equality in higher arts education, and the impact of arts education for children and young people on access to professional careers in the arts. The theoretical framework of the study is built around the concepts of equality, accessibility, disability, negotiation, and agency. The research draws on perspectives from critical disability studies, political science, education, and organisational studies. It is grounded in contemporary disability studies, with a particular emphasis on the sociocultural model of disability. Previous research (Koskinen, 2026) indicates, for example, that the representation of people with physical disabilities in Finnish higher arts education, including at the Theatre Academy, remains very low. Previous research in Finland has primarily focused on basic education in the arts (Laes, 2017; Kivijärvi, 2021), while equality and accessibility in higher arts education have received considerably less scholarly attention. Higher arts education constitutes one of the gatekeeping mechanisms through which individuals gain access to professional careers in the arts and cultural sectors. The aim of my doctoral research is to generate research-based knowledge that can, through activist research, contribute to advancing equality and accessibility within higher education institutions. The study also contributes to international academic discussions by foregrounding the voices and perspectives of disabled researchers themselves. My doctoral dissertation consists of one conceptual article, two empirical articles, and a synthesis chapter. The empirical data will be collected through focus group discussions and individual interviews involving teachers, academic and institutional leadership, staff members, students, and alumni in higher arts education. The dissertation is situated within the field of arts management research, while also drawing on and connecting perspectives from the social sciences, sociology, and cultural policy through the lens of disability studies.

Keywords: people with dis/abilities, equity, accessibility, negotiation, higher arts education, arts management

Sanni Virta is a doctoral researcher in the Research Study Programme at Doc­toral Pro­gramme in Mu­sic at the Sibelius Academy