Innovation with Equity: Reframing Quality Assurance to Empower Differently-Abled Learners in Digital Universities

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-618-5_23How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Social inclusion; Differently-able learners; Digital Universities; Quality Assurance; Equity-Centered QA; Universal Design for Learning (UDL); Assistive Technologies; Outcome-Based Education; Accessibility; Intersectionality; Inclusive Pedagogy; Faculty Training; Learner Agency; Digital Accessibility Standards; Inclusive Quality Matrix

Abstract

The rapid evolution of digital universities has transformed higher education by enhancing accessibility, flexibility, and innovation in teaching and learning. However, this transformation has exposed deep-rooted inequalities, particularly for differently-abled learners who face technological, pedagogical, and systemic barriers. Traditional quality assurance (QA) frameworks often prioritize performance indicators like completion rates and rankings while overlooking inclusivity and accessibility. This paper critically examines these limitations and proposes a redefined QA framework that places equity at its core. Emphasizing inclusive design, assistive technologies, and outcome-based learning, the framework draws on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles and the social model of disability to advocate for adaptive, learner-centered digital ecosystems. The study explores the roles of institutional commitment, faculty preparedness, and inclusive policies in fostering equitable learning environments. By synthesizing theoretical perspectives and contemporary practice, it argues that quality in digital universities must go beyond efficiency and measurable outputs to include equitable participation and empowerment of all learners. The paper concludes that embedding equity within QA systems is essential for creating inclusive, sustainable, and future-ready higher education institutions. It also highlights the importance of intersectional approaches that recognize the compounded barriers faced by learners at the crossroads of disability, gender, race, and socio-economic status, advocating for QA frameworks sensitive to these complex dimensions.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Angel Ruth Shalom
AU  - Deepmala Singh Thakur
AU  - Vandana Tiwari
AU  - Swati Saxena
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/06
TI  - Innovation with Equity: Reframing Quality Assurance to Empower Differently-Abled Learners in Digital Universities
BT  - Proceedings of the 18th National IQAC Conference (ICon 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 293
EP  - 311
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-618-5_23
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-618-5_23
ID  - Shalom2026
ER  -