Accessibility and Inclusion Through Digitalisation in Management Education
“Technology is nothing. The key is that you believe in humanity, that they are fundamentally nice, and if you equip them with tools they are going to make amazing use of them.
– Steve Jobs, Apple Co-founder (Isaacson, 2011)
Imagine a world without computers or the internet—communication would crawl at the pace of written letters, learning would be confined to physical classrooms, and knowledge
would be a luxury for the privileged few. Today a student in Ahmedabad can learn virtually with a student in London, and teachers collaborate on teaching materials in a single click.
Apps for instant messaging (such as WhatsApp) originally just transmitted messages from one person to the next, but nowadays they deliver timetables, slide outlines, and pre-class reading material straight into the pocket of the users. This revolution is not just efficient but it also trans mutes learning into a collaborative experience for students to discuss and engage in profound interactions with their instructors.
What makes this revolution revolutionary, is its ability to facilitate greater accessibility and inclusion. For students with disabilities, digital technologies like screen readers, captioning software, and adaptive learning platforms are lifelines. For students in remote or disadvantaged areas, online learning bridges geographical and socioeconomic distances.
Ultimately digitalisation allows IT systems to be equally powerful with regards to processing, managing and making information available, no learner should be disadvantaged.
This blog explores how digitalisation is revolutionising management education—not just by automating processes, but by being a force for inclusion. Varying from AI-driven
personalising to virtual classrooms, we reveal the ways technology can be utilised to support diverse learners and how future leaders can be equipped to live (and build) equitable workplaces.
The Digital Revolution in Education:
The last several decades have been marked by the transforming of the learning
environment via digital technologies. The physical constraints of the classroom have been overcome to an imaginary setting in which the data travels at the speed of light. While the model of education was previously constrained by physical presence and timetabled boundaries, smartphones, tablets, and broadband internet enable learning beyond the walls.
This digital technology revolution also democratized management of education. Business and management classes, which were previously available only to students privileged to be physically present at the top schools, move beyond physical geographic limits through the proliferation of virtual portals. Future world leaders can access quality content, engage with diverse learners, and learn from premier educators—enabling an evolution that brings education within reach and within access.
Enhancing Accessibility through Technology:
Digital technology liberates education delivery by eliminating roadblocks. For example,
NVDA (a free and open source screen reader) enables visual learners to listen to digital
textbooks via text-to-speech function (NV Access, n.d.. Analogously, real-time captions (like those provided by Google’s Live Transcribe) for video lecture recordings provide hearing impaired students with the ability to follow along with maximum ease.
Digitalization as a Driver of Inclusion:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the core, if not the epicenter, of this transformation. Adaptive learning systems such as Realizeit track student performance, and modify the learning experiences in response to students’ preferred learning strategies, thereby increasing the efficacy and attractiveness of education. Thus, classrooms are inclusive spaces where all voices are heard. Technologies such as Piazza facilitate open discussion
(Piazza, n.d., Zoom facilitates real-time group discussions (Zoom Video Communications, Inc., n.d., and Google Docs facilitate group collaboration (Google, n.d..
Digital technologies also enable teachers to monitor student progress via data analysis and respond quickly once issues are discovered. The data-driven approach not only leads to inclusion, but it also equips the next generation of leaders with exceptional technical competence.
Overcoming Obstacles and Hindrances:
It is not everybody’s situation that everybody has the same condition of the internet or modern computing technology. To close this gap, concerted action on the part of
governments, agencies and the private sector is required.
A major challenge is how to provide teachers with the necessary skills to appropriately employ digital tools. Investment on (reflected by) continuous professional development
allows teachers to stay current with evolving technologies and to maintain a school culture around students and teachers collaborating in a comfortable way with digital learning.
Data security and protection also remain paramount, as institutions need to have stringent cybersecurity practices and open policies in place to secure sensitive student information while ensuring the learning process continues uninterrupted. Using planned, focused
interventions, these challenges can be addressed and resulting in an equitably inclusive education system.
Looking Forward: Future Developments in Digital Management Education
Advances in the future have the potential to extend inclusivity in management education even further. Blockchain technology, for example, is starting to authenticate academic credentials, transforming the exchange and verification of qualifications worldwide—a significant development in a dynamic education sector like management education.
The metaverse can soon transform virtual learning. Conception of immersive 3D classrooms that permit students and teachers to act as they would in a conventional classroom. These environments offer the potential to maximize learning immersion and accessibility.
Furthermore, as AI and machine learning improve further, customised learning
experiences will be more advanced. Lessons will be known to be able to tailor courses down to level by level and so every students’ learning path will be known to be tailored for maximum success.
Key Metrics Supporting Accessibility and Learning Outcomes
To illustrate the scale of digital accessibility challenges and the benefits of digital tools, consider these data points:
Digital Accessibility and Inclusion:
- Global Disability Prevalence: Over 3 billion people worldwide live with some form of disability, highlighting the vast audience that benefits from accessible digital education. (ARED Group, 2024)
- Screen Reader Dependency: Approximately 75% of blind computer users rely on screen readers to navigate digital content, emphasizing the importance of assistive technologies. (WebAIM Screen Reader Survey)
- Economic Impact: Around 55% of UK consumers have abandoned online purchases due to accessibility issues, showing the cost of digital exclusion. (ARED Group, 2024)
- Internet Access Growth: Home internet access among 15-year-olds in OECD countries rose from 85% in 2009 to over 95% in 2018, reflecting rapid digital integration. (OECD, 2019)
- Higher Education Disability Statistics: Approximately 19% of S. undergraduates reported a disability during 2015–2016, underlining the need for inclusive platforms. (NCES, 2019)
- Rising Investment: Global digital transformation spending is projected to nearly double between 2022 and 2025, indicating growing investments in tools that enhance accessibility. (Quixy, 2025).
Learning Outcomes Improvement Through Digital Tools:
1. High School Completion Rates:
The DO-IT Center’s ALTS reported that participants with disabilities achieved a 100% high school completion rate compared to a 70% national average for youths with disabilities.
(DO-IT Center; National Longitudinal Transition Study-2)
2. Improved Exam Scores in Medical Education:
Medical students at the University of California, Irvine, using digital tools (e.g., iPads) scored 23% higher on national exams than previous classes that did not use these tools.
(Referenced in educational technology research sources)
3. Enhanced Grades Through Faculty Training:
Institutions implementing faculty training programs in digital accessibility (e.g., AccessCollege) observed average student grade improvements of up to 10 percentage points compared to pre-training outcomes.
(DO-IT Center reports and related studies)
These metrics provide concrete evidence that accessible digital tools and well-designed
learning environments lead to higher academic achievement and more equitable outcomes.
Conclusion
Digitalisation is more than a tool for streamlining education—it is a catalyst for creating an accessible, inclusive, and collaborative learning environment. By leveraging assistive
technologies, AI-driven personalization, and innovative digital platforms, management education can break free from traditional constraints and embrace a future where every learner has an equal opportunity to succeed.
As we move further into this digital era, it is crucial for educators, institutions, and
policymakers to invest in and support technologies that empower diverse learners. After all, as Steve Jobs reminded us, it is our faith in people—and the tools we provide—that ultimately unlocks human potential (Isaacson, 2011).
About the Author
Nihal Shah is Pursuing MBA from School of Management, PDEU (2024-2026)
