This study uncovered the policy environment and the practice of inclusion in Ethiopian publicrnhigher education institutions in particular focuses to Addis Ababa University. This researchrnfollowed a sequential exploratory mixed design that is predominantly governed by qualitativernenquiry and supported by the quantitative approach. Accordingly, this study used in-depth andrnsemi-structured interviews, questionnaire, focus group discussion, document analysis andrnobservation. In this study, 17 key informants (8 cases, 3 higher officials from Ministry ofrnEducat ion, 4 uni versi ty officials and 2 chair students from visually impaired and physicallyrnimpaired st ud ents' associations of the universit y), 59 physically impaired and visually impairedrnstudent s, 63 non-disabled st udents and 39 teachers. The study used different instruments tornsupport and triangulate the qualitative data which was obtained from the key informants. Similarrnmajor findings were obtained almost from all the participants. Both the qualitative data and thernquantitative data unmasked the problem. Inadequate strategic and practical concerns, absence ofrnuniversity legi slation on disability issues, serious inaccessibility problems and attitude basedrnexclusions were the major findings of the study. Physical inaccessibility related to buildings andrntheir respective facilities and academic inadaptability were found to be the recurring themes.rnLack of awareness, negative attitude, lack of policy at the university level and insufficientrncommitment were some of the causes to the problem. A workable national policy environmentrnwas also discovered in the study. The need for considerable concern toward the strongest sensernof inclusion both at national and institutional levels, national strategic programs, higherrneducation quality assurance standards and a uni ve rsity legislation emanated from the HigherrnEducation Proclamation 650/2009 were some of the major recommendations.