Author: Avishek Khanra
Abstract: Information and Communication technology (ICT) has become central to contemporary discourses of Inclusive Education, promoted as a catalyst for equitable learning opportunities. Assistive technologies, online learning platforms and adaptive systems are celebrated for dismantling barriers faced by learners with disabilities, marginalized communities and those in remote regions. Yet this optimistic narrative often obscures structural inequalities, cultural erasures and privatization pressures that ICT may also reinforce. This paper critically interrogates the role of ICT in Inclusive Education through the lens of critical pedagogy and global policy experiences. Using a qualitative critical review methodology, it asks: Does ICT genuinely enable Inclusive Education or does it risk reproducing or deepening existing educational inequalities? The analysis reveals that while ICT can expand accessibility and personalization, its effectiveness is constrained by digital divides, Western-centric designs, weak teacher preparation and corporate interests. The paper concludes that ICT is not inherently inclusive; its emancipatory potential depends on systemic equity measures, cultural responsiveness and participatory implementation.
Keywords: ICT, Inclusive Education, Digital divide, Critical pedagogy, Equity, Universal design.
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