Where Are we with Inclusive Digital Further Education? Accessibility Through Digitalization

For eLearning there is a need for collaborative approaches that support inclusion for successful lifelong learning. Employees with disabilities may lose their ability to master new digital tools for their work due to a lack of accessibility in further education and even have difficulty participating in meetings. This paper provides an overview of digital approaches for collaboration among students with disabilities for successful communication, coordination, and control in learning settings. We first analyzed current tools and platforms that support teachers in providing accessible teaching materials and those that address learners with disabilities in regard to their accessibility. Afterward, we conducted an online survey to gather data on the current state of digital accessibility in further education. Finally, we developed an inclusive didactic model that covers computer-mediated collaborative work between participants with and without disabilities, taking assistive technology and human assistance into account.