Digital School for All: rethinking inclusion in the AI Era
- Redazione ForAllWe
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
In an era of rapidly accelerating technological innovation, we can no longer think of "education for all" as an abstract ideal: it has become a concrete necessity. The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies opens up new opportunities to make schools more inclusive, personalized, and accessible—provided they are integrated thoughtfully and responsibly.
In this article, we explore how AI can improve inclusion in schools, what practical tools already exist, the challenges it faces, and how we can use it to foster truly inclusive education.

Why we need to rethink inclusion
The concept of school inclusion goes far beyond the mere physical presence of students: it means ensuring equal opportunities for learning, participation, and success regardless of ability, linguistic background, disability, learning disability, or learning style.
Traditionally, however, many classrooms face obstacles: varying paces, inadequate support, poorly adapted materials, and one-size-fits-all teaching. The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approach—"designing instruction from the outset to offer multiple modes of representation, expression, and engagement"—offers us a compass.
AI can enhance this approach: helping differentiate , personalize , and break down barriers . But we also need to monitor risks such as algorithmic bias, unequal access, and teacher training.
How AI can support inclusive education
Here are some concrete areas where artificial intelligence comes into play to promote inclusion:
1. Personalization of learning paths
AI can analyze data on student progress, errors, and response times, and adapt content, difficulty, and learning methods. This ensures that those who "fall behind" aren't simply left to their own devices. According to an MDPI study : "AI shows strong potential in adapting educational environments to individual needs."
An example of an adaptive platform is Squirrel AI Learning (China), which breaks down each topic into thousands of “knowledge points” and offers tailor-made courses.
2. Accessibility tools and disability support
– Convert text to audio (text-to-speech) or audio to text (speech-to-text) for students with visual or hearing impairments.
– Automatic translation and text simplification for those with language difficulties or foreign students. – Predictive systems and content suggestions for students with reading difficulties (e.g., dyslexia) or reduced mobility.
3. Creating more diverse content and learning environments
AI can help teachers produce personalized materials (presentations, quizzes, simulations) and help represent different cultures, different styles, and alternative learning modalities.
4. Automation of administrative and evaluation tasks
Thanks to AI, teachers and schools can free up time: automatic assessment, learning data analysis, and preparation of materials. This can allow teachers to focus more energy on individual support and inclusion .
5. Predictive analysis and early interventions
By tracking learning indicators, AI can flag at-risk students early, helping design targeted, personalized interventions.
Practical examples to adopt in school
Here are some concrete cases that we can cite as inspiration for schools that want to focus on digital inclusion:
The article “Three AI Software Platforms for an Inclusive Classroom” explains how some AI platforms are already being used to design differentiated lessons, adaptive assessments, and special needs materials.
The tools cited by the Support organization (“AI and Accessibility”) list applications such as Google Voice Typing, Otter.ai , Microsoft Immersive Reader for translation, transcription, text prediction.
The blog “AI Tools for Education: Designing for Inclusive Excellence” explores how AI can contribute to culturally relevant and accessible learning content.
The UNESCO review “Artificial Intelligence in action: advancing inclusive education for learners with disabilities and special needs” highlights global practices integrating AI for students with disabilities.
What are the challenges and considerations to take into account?
It's important to remember that AI isn't a magic wand: to make it effective and truly inclusive, some challenges need to be addressed:
Equitable access : Not all schools or students have the same technical resources (connection, devices, support).
Teacher training : Teachers must be trained to use and integrate AI consciously.
Bias and transparency : Algorithms can reflect bias or inequality; oversight and ethical design are needed.
Data Protection and Privacy : Managing student data with AI tools requires attention to security and ethical aspects.
Continuous support and monitoring : AI is a component, not a substitute for the teacher, and must be integrated into a human and pedagogical framework.
Universal accessibility : You need to design with a UDL approach, not just add tools at the end.
How to reorganize teaching for everyone thanks to AI
Here are some strategic recommendations for schools that want to implement inclusive teaching with AI:
Analysis of the educational context : assess student needs (language, skills, digital access) and define inclusion objectives.
Choosing the right tools : Select AI platforms that meet the identified needs (language support, transcription, adaptivity).
Training and co-design with teachers and students : involving all stakeholders in the AI introduction process.
Integration with the UDL approach : plan materials and activities with multiple modalities (audio, video, text, interaction) from the beginning.
Monitoring and adapting : using data generated by AI tools to evaluate what is working, where to intervene, and how to improve.
Communication and community engagement : Parents, students, and staff need to be informed and involved in the transformation.
Strong focus on ethics and fairness : safeguarding student data, ensuring transparency and solidarity in the process.
In conclusion: for an inclusive school today
The AI era offers an extraordinary opportunity to rethink school as a space for everyone —not just for "some." Inclusive education means offering tools, programs, and support that take into account the diversity of students, and artificial intelligence can be a powerful ally on this journey.
But it's crucial not to delegate everything to AI : the role of the teacher, the community, and instructional design remains central. AI must be integrated with care, responsibility, and vision.
If we want to build a digital school for all , we must act now, experiment, reflect, and share best practices.
If you manage a classroom, an educational institution, or are a teacher interested in digital inclusion, we invite you to share your experiences :
What AI tools have you already tried?
What obstacles did you encounter in making them accessible?
What do you think is needed to make inclusive education truly work?
Leave a comment below, write us a contribution, or share a success story: together we can build a network of practices, reflections, and tools for a "digital school for all."
Resources and Insights
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) – Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Design_for_Learning
Study on AI and Personalized Learning – MDPI: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/15/5/539
Squirrel AI Learning Adaptive Platform – Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squirrel_AI
AI and Accessibility: Leveraging AI for Inclusive Education – Park University: https://support.park.edu/support/solutions/articles/6000275009-ai-and-accessibility-leveraging-ai-for-inclusive-education
Top AI Tools for Creating Inclusive Education Environments – AutoGPT: https://autogpt.net/top-ai-tools-for-creating-inclusive-education-environments/
AI in the Classroom: Creating New Opportunities for Students with Special Needs – Special Needs Alliance: https://www.specialneedsalliance.org/blog/ai-in-the-classroom-creating-new-opportunities-for-students-with-special-needs/
AI Tools for Education: Designing for Inclusive Excellence – Waterford.org : https://www.waterford.org/blog/ai-tools-education-inclusive-excellence/
AI in Inclusive Learning – PrepAI: https://www.prepai.io/blog/ai-in-inclusive-learning/
Three AI Software Platforms for an Inclusive Classroom – University of Maryland: https://education.umd.edu/news/12-03-24-three-ai-software-platforms-inclusive-classroom
Artificial Intelligence in Action: Advancing Inclusive Education – EASPD: https://easpd.eu/news-detail/artificial-intelligence-in-action-advancing-inclusive-education-for-learners-with-disabilities-and-special-needs/
AI in Schools: Pros and Cons – University of Illinois: https://education.illinois.edu/about/news-events/news/article/2024/10/24/ai-in-schools--pros-and-cons
Bias and Ethics in AI Education Systems – arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.15466
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