Innovation and development of Educational Assistive technologies: NAPI-TA actions for the elimination of barriers in teaching

Abstract

This article analyzes the actions developed within the New Research and Innovation Arrangement in Assistive Technology (NAPI-TA), with emphasis on the initiatives carried out by researchers who are members of Working Group 02 – Assistive Technology in Interface with Education. The objective is to analyze how the selected Educational Assistive Technologies (EAT) embody principles of Universal Design (UD) and offer possibilities for integration into planning guided by Universal Design for Learning (UDL), with the potential to minimize educational barriers present in mainstream classrooms. This is a qualitative, descriptive-analytical, documentary study based on institutional documents, technical reports, research records, and pedagogical materials produced within the context of WG02. The corpus was organized into six units of analysis: Math Balance, Mobile Plan, Three-Dimensional Representation Board (QRT), 3D Tactile Anatomy, 3D Fitting Cells, and educational audio description. The analysis considered the anticipation of barriers in resource design, possibilities for access, representation, interaction, action, and expression in pedagogical planning, and their characterization as EAT. The results reveal resources designed with accessibility features such as manipulability, color contrast, textures, relief, Braille, modularity, and different forms of representation and interaction with content. These characteristics offer possibilities for shared use by students with and without disabilities and for integration into pedagogical planning guided by UDL. It is concluded that the actions analyzed articulate technological development, accessibility, and pedagogical planning, demonstrating potential to minimize educational barriers. As this is a documentary study, direct effects on students’ learning, autonomy, performance, or participation were not evaluated.