Affiliation:
1. University of the Free State, South Africa
2. School of Built Environment and Development Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
Abstract
Assistive technologies (AT) are revolutionising and reinventing learning practices for learners with special needs. Opportunities have been created to embrace and accommodate those who were previously marginalised in mainstream educational settings. The 4IR is still an improbable idea in developing countries, where the ravages of poverty create inequalities and social exclusion amongst people with disabilities. Years after decolonisation, African countries are still struggling to reap the benefits of information and communication technologies (ICT) due to social, economic, and political challenges. The digital divide is exacerbated daily, as resources are limited to enhance access to inclusive education. This chapter examines the phenomenological principle of “Ubuntu” to curb and solve indigenous problems that are difficult to remedy through Westernised methods. Ubuntu must guide technological transformation and direct educational experts in designing curriculum and learning practices relevant to the African context.
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