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The paper examines the use of technology as a means for the inclusion of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students in mainstream K-12 schools, covering the publications of the last decade. A systematic search of databases was carried out to locate theoretical and empirical studies investigating technologies as auxiliary or supporting tools for the inclusion of DHH students. Results are presented in two categories: (1) review/survey or theoretical papers and (2) studies of technol- ogy design and evaluation. Based on our findings, there is only preliminary evidence on how technology can support the inclusion of DHH students in mainstream schools. We argue that there is less need for research on technologies specialized on the disability, aiming to accommodate hearing loss, such as technologies to support the acquisition of sign language or speech-to-text translation of the teacher’s talk. There is a major need for technology integration and research on its real-world use and utility, towards the inclusion of all students in the mainstream classroom, serving the needs of both DHH students and the general student population.

Current technological advancements offer many ways of enhancing disabled peoples’ access to Cultural Heritage environments. A new generation of Social Computing technologies and systems is changing the way in which we access Cultural Heritage, facilitating the inclusion of socially isolated groups of people. Under this perspective, this paper aims to explore the potential impact of Social Computing systems to enhance people’ access to Cultural Heritage, particularly focusing on deaf and disabled users. By reviewing the current literature on Social Computing and Cultural Heritage, the paper first summarizes the related applications and appropriate key technologies; second, it provides examples of innovative approaches to the enhancement of user-engagement and interaction through social computing. Moreover, the paper highlights arising issues of privacy, as well as ethical considerations, and presents design principles for ensuring privacy. The study concludes by discussing challenges for inclusive Social Computing applications in the context of Cultural Heritage and pointing out areas where future research is needed.

Current technological advancements offer many ways of enhancing disabled peoples’ access to Cultural Heritage environments. A new generation of Social Computing technologies and systems is changing the way in which we access Cultural Heritage, facilitating the inclusion of socially isolated groups of people. Under this perspective, this paper aims to explore the potential impact of Social Computing systems to enhance people’ access to Cultural Heritage, particularly focusing on deaf and disabled users. By reviewing the current literature on Social Computing and Cultural Heritage, the paper first summarizes the related applications and appropriate key technologies; second, it provides examples of innovative approaches to the enhancement of user-engagement and interaction through social computing. Moreover, the paper highlights arising issues of privacy, as well as ethical considerations, and presents design principles for ensuring privacy. The study concludes by discussing challenges for inclusive Social Computing applications in the context of Cultural Heritage and pointing out areas where future research is needed.