Acessibilidade e inclusão digital: a educação inclusiva de estudantes com necessidades educacionais específicas em Itacoatiara-AM

Abstract

This research was developed within the scope of the Graduate Program in Inclusive Education (PROFEI) at the Federal Institute of Amazonas (IFAM), linked to the Research Line Special Education from the Perspective of Inclusive Education. The study aimed to investigate how pedagogical knowledge and practices can be applied to foster the digital inclusion of students with specific educational needs in an elementary school located in the municipality of Itacoatiara, Amazonas. Framed within the field of Inclusive Education, the research considered visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive disabilities, seeking to understand how digital technologies can contribute to the realization of the right to education under equitable conditions. Based on a qualitative approach, grounded in the phenomenological method and the case study strategy (Yin, 2018), the study was developed in three complementary stages: diagnosis of the technological scenario and school accessibility conditions; identification of barriers and challenges faced by teachers and school support professionals; and proposition of pedagogical strategies aimed at improving inclusive practices mediated by digital technologies. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and participant observation, involving fifteen education professionals — including teachers, school life support professionals, and a principal — and analyzed using content analysis techniques (Bardin, 2016). The results revealed that, although there have been advances in inclusive education policies, structural, pedagogical, and technological barriers still hinder students’ full access to digital resources. A lack of equipment and connectivity, the absence of multifunctional resource rooms, gaps in teacher training, and limited use of digital technologies in pedagogical practices were identified. Despite these limitations, the participants demonstrated a willingness to innovate and critically reflect on their teaching practices, indicating a scenario with potential for transformation. As an educational resource resulting from the investigation, an interactive e-book titled “Connected Inclusion: Digital Technologies in Service of School Inclusion” was developed, gathering accessible digital tools, pedagogical guidelines, and teaching strategies aimed at promoting digital inclusion. It is concluded that the effective implementation of an inclusive and digitally accessible education requires investments in technological infrastructure, equity-oriented public policies, continuous teacher training, and collective engagement of the school community. Thus, this dissertation contributes to the debate and practice of digital accessibility in the educational context by proposing concrete pathways toward building a more just, inclusive, and democratic school environment.