Breaking down digital barriers: Concrete tips for everyday vocational training
Whether attending vocational school with a visual impairment or preparing for exams with dyslexia: learning with a disability shouldn't really be anything out of the ordinary. However, the hurdles for learners with disabilities in vocational education are often high - especially in the digital world. A new guide provides a remedy.
The FHNW School of Social Work has published a practice-oriented guide with many suggestions on how to break down digital barriers for learners with a disability. The «Orientierungsrahmen Digitale Teilhabe» will be available to download free of charge from November 10, 2025.
Project of the National Research Program NRP77
Digital technologies can break down barriers and make it easier for people with disabilities to access vocational training - this has been clearly demonstrated by a broad-based project at the FHNW School of Social Work in various scientific publications. The project, called «E-Inclusion», is part of the Swiss National Science Foundation's National Research Program NRP77 «Digital Transformation», which comes to an end at the end of 2025.
In five work packages, a team of employees from the Integration and Participation and Child and Youth Welfare institutes led by Gabriela Antener examined various issues relating to the digital participation of people with disabilities in the field of vocational education and training. Learners with disabilities, experts and educational organizations were surveyed in numerous interviews - the results impressively show the barriers that people with disabilities face in vocational education and training. For example, learners with disabilities do not have access to the relevant information on compensation for disadvantages, many learning platforms and software solutions are not accessible or inclusion is not structurally anchored.
Guidelines as a constructive conclusion to the project
At the end of NRP77, a handy guide entitled «Orientierungsrahmen Digitale Teilhabe» (Digital Participation Framework) will be published on November 10, 2025, which provides constructive practical guidance on all the issues and problem areas raised. It is available to download free of charge and is intended for stakeholders from all areas of vocational education and training: it is aimed at teachers as well as managers and communication specialists from educational organizations and education policy makers. The «Orientierungsrahmen Digitale Teilhabe» is divided into ten subject areas, with numerous examples and practical suggestions for potential improvements. The framework is published in German, French and Italian.
In addition to the online publication, a poster will also be published, which interested professionals and educational institutions can request free of charge. It contains a compact, clear presentation of the ten subject areas with easy-to-understand illustrations.
As a member of adis, the Swiss Digital Inclusion Alliance, the FHNW is committed to advancing digital inclusion in Switzerland and is presenting the Digital Participation Framework on National Digital Inclusion Day on November 21, 2025.
Sources: FHNW, Alliance for Digital Inclusion (adis)
Download guide: https://www.inclusion-digital.ch
