Abstract
This paper reports on the results of the eAccessibility 2020 study which was funded by the European Commission to explore and analyse the relationships between the emerging ICT landscape in the societal and economic context, and the development and provision of assistive technologies and eAccessibility within a perspective of the next 10 years. The methodology of the study included both desk research and direct contact with relevant actors through 2011 and 2012. The results of the study are summarised for different educational levels (from primary-school to post-university) and are presented in terms of core issues, which are the most important developments in the area that will concentrate research and development efforts; roadmaps, which are most probable elements of a future research agenda in the area; and potential scenarios, which are indicative and not necessarily representative examples of use cases that may appear in the field.
Highlights
At the World Education Forum [1] that took place in Dakar in 2000, 164 governments pledged to achieve “Education for All” (EFA) and identified six goals [2] to be met by 2015
The results of the eAccessibility 2020 study highlight some of the most prominent research fields which can affect the quality of special education in the 10 years
The rapid evolution and adoption of mobile and ubiquitous technologies can offer an additional motivation for research in this direction, since in such environments all learners can be “disabled” for specific time periods due to their context of use: for example, the learner cannot use the screen for some time not because she/he is blind, but because her/his vision is diverted to another task
Summary
At the World Education Forum [1] that took place in Dakar in 2000, 164 governments pledged to achieve “Education for All” (EFA) and identified six goals [2] to be met by 2015. Amongst the Europeans Agency reports though there is a very interesting report titled “ICTs in education for people with disabilities” [11] presenting case studies of ICTs being used to facilitate inclusive education settings for people with disabilities. In this context, the European Commission launched on 2010 a tender for the eAccessibility 2020 study with the following objectives (www.e-accessibility2020.eu): To conduct a validated analysis of the relationships between the emerging ICT landscape, the societal and economic context and the development and provision of assistive technologies (AT) and eAccessibility, building on a sound understanding of relevant trends and challenges. Potential scenarios are indicative and not necessarily representative examples of use cases that may appear in the field
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