Common policies and models for enhancing the inclusion of disabled students promote a trajectory of moving from adjustments and provision in response to individual requests and assessment of needs, towards an inclusive educational experience that is accessible by design. It is possible to see partial successes in this regard, particularly in the space of online and distance learning (ODL) However there remain prominent conceptual and practical challenges and a lack of clear data on what is working. This paper reports research conducted with students via a survey (n=50) and interviews (n=4) at an ODL higher education institution. These aimed to better understand the extent to which study was experienced as accessible by design, where and how adjustments were effective, where further efforts should be focused to enhance provision. Students report barriers across types of materials, activities and assessments, however they were often able to resolve barriers related to study materials independently, and most of those related to assessments were resolved with support. Barriers in communicative activities such as tutorials and online forums were more often reported as unresolved. A range of features that represent an accessible by design approach were reported as useful, and students used various sources to gain guidance around accessibility. We discuss how the findings and further data collection processes could enable accessibility by design to be enhanced.

The "DIAB SMART" is a novel "serious game" designed for preschool children recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, a condition whose prevalence in childhood has tripled in the past 30 years. Aimed at addressing the increased need for knowledge during diagnosis and ongoing treatment, our primary motivation was to assist children with type 1 diabetes in learning crucial information. [1-2] We designed software that comprises two main components: the "DIAB SMART" game for children and an editor for parents. The game features three mini-games: "True-False," "Which," and "Plate," while parents and dietitians can modify the game database by uploading meal/food data and images, as well as introducing new questions. The software underwent testing and evaluation by both adults and young children, utilizing modified System Usability Scale questionnaires. Results indicate high satisfaction levels among both parents and children. Notably, the versatility of "DIAB SMART" extends its utility to children with other conditions such as gluten or lactose sensitivity, and its user-friendly design makes it accessible for children with autism spectrum disorder, children with learning disabilities, and dyslexia as well. Overall, the "DIAB SMART" game represents an innovative and valuable tool for diverse pediatric health needs.

Extended Reality (ER) stands out as one of the major technology trends currently, with expectations of even further growth in the near future. The primary objective of this paper is to develop an ER application for the Sharebot One and Sharebot Next Generation 3D Printers, specifically designed to assist students with special needs. The application follows an inclusive design perspective based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) by the World Health Organization (WHO), enabling students to work and interact with the machine safely.

To achieve this goal, three configurations have been developed and tested: a desktop version running on a PC, an Android tablet-based version, and a solution optimized for the Microsoft HoloLens device.

With the recent development of generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) and the release of ChatGPT, opportunities for innovation have been opened in a wide range of fields. In the field of education, one of the primary goals is adapting the education for each student to support a student-centered approach instead of a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Adapted education requires additional effort and time for teachers, and the integration of GAI into educational settings has the potential to be a game-changer by offering innovative solutions to enhance the learning process in this context. This study, therefore, explored the opportunities for using GAI to adapt texts based on the needs of individual students with special needs (i.e., reading comprehension challenges caused by ADHD in our study). The study comprises three phases: understanding the problem area through interviews, workshops for text generation, and finally, a comparison of the generated texts. Preliminary results show teachers struggling with adapting texts as much as they feel their students need due to a lack of time, highlighting a need to streamline this process.