PARTICIPATORY AND INCLUSIVE DIGITAL GOVERNANCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION: AN ANALYSIS OF THE APPLICABILITY OF A SPECIAL EDUCATION MODEL TO UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Digital transformation in public institutions, especially universities, includes challenges that go beyond technology, requiring the development of new management models. The contemporary manager must act in a multidisciplinary way with mechanisms of participation, inclusion, and transparency. In this context, digital platforms should be understood as strategic instruments of information governance, capable of promoting accessibility and equity in the academic environment. This study proposes a critical-reflective analysis of the collaborative construction of university information systems, focusing on the inclusion of people with disabilities. The main objective of the research is to investigate the applicability of a participatory model of digital governance in higher education, based on the experience of Special Education in the municipality of Betim (Brazil), as described in the thesis by Araújo. The adopted methodology was a case study, with a qualitative approach and analysis of empirical data from the work of staff at a federal and a municipal university. The results indicate that building digital systems with the active participation of educators and managers strengthens democratic management, improves accessibility, and legitimizes institutional processes. Proposals such as Araújo’s go beyond the field of Special Education, offering viable guidelines for the reinvention of public university management. It is concluded that collaborative models of digital governance promote more human, efficient, and sustainable solutions, expanding the protagonism of the academic community in building inclusive platforms and formulating institutional policies.