Designing accessible digital learning tools: Inclusive innovation for students with disabilities in emerging markets
1 Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States..
2 Department of Computer Science, Seattle University, Seattle, United States.
Review Article
World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2024, 22(03), 2350–2357
Publication history:
Received on 05 May 2024; revised on 21 June 2024; accepted on 28 June 2024
Abstract:
Background: The rapid digitisation of education in emerging markets, particularly across Africa, risks creating a new digital divide by systematically excluding learners with disabilities. Traditional models of assistive technology are often high-cost and contextually inappropriate, while mainstream educational technology frequently overlooks fundamental accessibility principles, perpetuating a cycle of educational marginalisation.
Purpose: This research argues for a paradigm shift from retrofitting accessibility to proactively embedding it through “Inclusive Innovation.” It aims to explore how digital learning tools can be designed and scaled to support learners with disabilities in underserved regions, moving beyond technical compliance to address pedagogical, cultural, and economic sustainability.
Methods: The research employs a qualitative analysis of existing literature and detailed case studies of initiatives within emerging markets. It synthesises findings from successful and failed interventions to construct a novel framework for design and implementation, grounded in the principles of Universal Design for Learning and community-led co-creation.
Results: The analysis reveals that successful initiatives are those that integrate accessibility from the outset, are developed through deep partnership with local communities, and are supported by robust ecosystems for teacher training and maintenance. Contrarily, failures consistently result from top-down technology imposition without community engagement or sustainable support structures. A four-pillar framework (Foundational Design, Community-Led Co-Creation, Ecosystem Development, and Context-Adaptive Scaling) is proposed as an effective model for action.
Conclusion: The digital revolution in education offers an unprecedented opportunity to build equitable systems. Realising this requires a steadfast commitment to Inclusive Innovation, ensuring that digital learning tools are designed for all learners from the start. This is not merely a technical challenge but an ethical imperative to fulfil the right to education for every child.
Keywords:
Accessible Education; Digital Learning Tools; Inclusive Innovation; Disability; Emerging Markets; Co-Design; Universal Design for Learning
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Copyright information:
Copyright © 2024 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0