Fostering Inclusive Activities in Mixed-visual Abilities Classrooms using Social Robots

Visually impaired children are increasingly educated in mainstream schools following an inclusive educational approach. However, even though visually impaired (VI) and sighted peers are side by side in the classroom, previous research showed a lack of participation of VI children in classroom dynamics and group activities. That leads to a reduced engagement between VI children and their sighted peers and a missed opportunity to value and explore class members' differences. Robots due to their physicality, and ability to perceive the world, socially-behave and act in a wide range of interactive modalities, can leverage mixed-visual ability children access to group activities while fostering their mutual understanding and social engagement. With this work, we aim to use social robots, as facilitators, to booster inclusive activities in mixed-visual abilities classroom.