Supporting Learners With Disabilities in Digital Environments

Abstract

As digital education reshapes the global learning landscape, this chapter examines the tension between innovation and inequity, especially for children with special needs (CwSN). While online platforms offer flexibility, they often exclude learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) due to normative design assumptions. This chapter explores how inclusive digital environments can be proactively designed to support cognitive diversity. Grounded in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), it outlines pedagogical, technical, and systemic strategies to transform digital education from a tool of standardization to one of empowerment. It highlights the role of assistive technologies and the need for teacher capacity building. Moving beyond isolated interventions, the chapter calls for inclusion to be embedded from the outset. Through theory, practical models, and policy suggestions, it reimagines inclusive education as a design for human potential.

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