Over the past decade, ever since the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (UN-CRPD) in Germany, a morally charged debate has taken place about inclusive and special education. Special schools are under considerable attack and even special education is deemed responsible for the difficulties in…

The focus of this paper is the design of technology products and services for disabled students in higher education. It analyses the perspectives of disabled students studying in the US, the UK, Germany, Israel and Canada, regarding their experiences of using technologies to support their learning. The students shared how the functionality of the…

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected education at all levels in various ways. This paper provides a review of the literature on the challenges of online learning for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Method: In total, 17 studies from nine countries were analysed. The challenges of online learning for…

The study aims for identifying the driving forces that lead German children with VI to switch from mainstream schooling to special schooling. The results are intended to provide more understanding from the perspective of these students about how school settings for students with and without visual impairment can be designed with as few barriers as…

A body of research indicates the importance of interventions for promoting the development and progress of children with visual impairments. However, the research available on suitable interventions for this population is relatively sparse. The purpose of this review is to identify, collate and appraise the available research evidence on…

Adolescents with developmental language disorders (DLD) often no longer receive support services when they reach secondary school although many studies show persistent educational needs (Conti-Ramsden et al., 2018; Kolonko & Seglias, 2008; Romonath, 2003). To date, personal assessments of their support services by students themselves have…

Purpose: Nearly all students use Internet-based social media to communicate and network. For those with complex communication needs who may benefit from augmentative and alternative communication, social media offer specific opportunities to participate. However, do students make use of them--or do they face new barriers? The aim of the study was…

The school closures during the COVID-19 outbreak triggered a shift towards digital learning. Whilst this is a major challenge for mainstream education, the implementation of digital learning poses an even bigger challenge for special education teachers, as they are confronted with different learning requirements which might hinder digital learning…

In the context of the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the German Rectors' Conference has expressed the goal of empowering inclusive education at German universities. The German study "beeinträchtigt studieren" from 2018 indicates that the situation of disabled university students needs…