Students with disabilities in higher education: a biographical- narrative approach to the role of lecturers Anabel Moriña Díez a * , Rosario López Gavira b and Víctor M. Molina c a Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain; b Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain; c Facultad de Química, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain This article presents an analysis of how lecturers respond to students with disabilities, the initial question being: do lecturers aid or hinder students? Findings pertain to a broader research project being developed by a multidisciplinary team employing a non-usual research methodology in higher education (HE) research and students with disabilities: biographical-narrative methodology. The general aim is to analyse – by listening to the students themselves – barriers and support identified as affecting access, academic performance and overall perception of the HE experience. The present paper analyses lecturer-centred data to focus specifically on one of the objectives of our research project: the role that lecturers play in the inclusive education of students with disabilities. Unlike other international research, this article explores the barriers and support differentiating between five fields of knowledge: health sciences, experimental sciences, social sciences (law and education), engineering and technology and humanities. Findings are organized in four topic areas: lecturer attitudes, practices in the classroom, curricular adaptations and faculty training. Key findings are discussed in the conclusions section, together with a discussion of contributions made by earlier studies. Keywords: biographical-narrative methodology; diversity; higher education; learning barriers; learning bridges; lecturers; students with disabilities Introduction In recent years, advances have been made in disability policy at Spanish universities, especially in terms of creating more inclusive learning environments. The primary initiative to date is a support service for students with disabilities. To a great extent, disability regulations passed in different countries have made such progress possible. Australia, the UK and the USA, for example, have implemented the Discrimination Act. In Spain, provisions for students with disabilities are laid out in Organic Law 4/ 2007 for Universities, which establishes that the principles of equal opportunity and non-discrimination must be ensured and that university environments (buildings, grounds and facilities) must be accessible. In addition, the principles of universal acces- sibility and respect for all, including personalized support and adaptive teaching methods, now form part of the curriculum. At the local level, the University of Seville – host institution for the present study – has approved specific bylaws regulating academic considerations affecting the student body, including obligatory curricular © 2014 HERDSA *Corresponding author. Email: anabelm@us.es Higher Education Research & Development, 2015 Vol. 34, No. 1, 147–159, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2014.934329