Taylor, the Disability Disclosure Virtual Assistant: A Case Study of Participatory Research with Disabled Students

Abstract

Administrative burden in education is a serious issue for disabled students. Form-filling and bureaucracy are ubiquitous in further and higher education, particularly for students who need to disclose a disability and arrange for accommodations and support for an equitable educational experience. Paradoxically, many of these processes are inherently inaccessible for disabled students, and yet completing them can be critical to their success. Artificial Intelligence has potential to alleviate some of the burden imposed by administration and bureaucracy; virtual assistants and chatbots can replace forms with dialogue, without placing additional strain on institutions. However, it is essential that solutions are designed in partnership with disabled students to ensure that students’ needs are met, their concerns addressed, and the final solution is equitable for them. This paper explores a case study of participatory research with disabled students in a large UK distance learning institution, in which participatory research identified an issue of administrative burden for disabled students, and a virtual assistant was designed as a solution using participatory design. It shares the methodology and design process, explores findings from different phases of the research, and shares recurrent themes arising throughout the study. In doing so, it aims to provide a foundation for future participatory research to reduce barriers for disabled students.

Toward independence learning of disabled students through optimization of humanist approaches during the pandemic

“…As a dynamic institution, higher education must be inclusive. The inclusive nature includes providing opportunities to people with disabilities (Andreou et al, 2021;Kim et al, 2019;Lister et al, 2021). Related to meeting the needs of students with disabilities, the Board of Governors of European Schools makes policies to optimise accessibility, availability of accommodation, curriculum adaptation for students with disabilities and tailor programmes in universities to support the development of a more sustainable, inclusive, green and digital academic atmosphere (Andreou et al, 2021).…”

“…Students with disabilities need extra help in learning. This is due to the lack of physical and mental planning and implementation of learning specifically (Andreou et al, 2021;Kim et al, 2019;Lister et al, 2021). The population of students with disabilities is quite a lot in the world.…”

“…During the COVID-19 pandemic, schools did not organise direct learning but it was conducted online (Lister et al, 2021;Osher et al, 2020;Zaien, 2021). Optimisation of learning during the pandemic times was by making home visits.…”

“…The school, as one of the formal educational institutions, is changing. During a pandemic, learning in schools cannot be implemented optimally due to limited study time (Lister et al, 2021;Osher et al, 2020;Zaien, 2021). We have learned that the method of direct interaction between teachers and students has been turned into indirect interaction because of the enactment of social restrictions and physical restrictions.…”

“…We have learned that the method of direct interaction between teachers and students has been turned into indirect interaction because of the enactment of social restrictions and physical restrictions. This condition encourages schools to organise online learning (Lister et al, 2021).…”