Artificial intelligence and other educational digital technologies to promote accessibility for people with disabilities

Abstract

The inclusion of students with disabilities in higher education remains a multifaceted challenge that requires integrated approaches, involving effective public policies, innovative pedagogical practices, and the strategic use of accessible and assistive digital technologies. Despite normative and institutional advances, architectural, communicational, pedagogical, and technological barriers persist, compromising access, retention, and academic success for these students. In this context, although implementation is still incipient in many educational institutions, resources based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other educational digital technologies can, if properly used, become promising tools for personalised teaching, content adaptation, and the production of accessible materials. This literature review article aims to investigate and systematise pedagogical practices that integrate AI and digital technologies with a focus on accessibility, contribute to teacher training guided by ethical, critical, and creative principles, and produce scientific and technical knowledge that can facilitate inclusive teaching strategies and institutional policies, to support a research project that studies the pedagogical use of Artificial Intelligence to promote accessibility for people with disabilities in education and training. For this review, the inclusion criteria encompassed peer-reviewed articles, policy documents, and institutional reports published between 2000 and 2025, with a particular emphasis on studies that address accessibility in higher education and the pedagogical applications of AI. Data from Portuguese and Brazilian higher education institutions reveal persistent challenges, including dropout rates among students with disabilities exceeding the general average, largely due to limited digital accessibility and insufficient pedagogical support. These findings justify the need for targeted investigations in the context of inclusive practices supported by AI.

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