Digital content accessibility in virtual platforms for university students with disabilities: a systematic review

Accesibilidad de contenidos digitales en plataformas virtuales para estudiantes universitarios con discapacidad: revisión sistemática

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Published: 2026-10-27
DOI: https://doi.org/10.33996/revistahorizontes.v10i44.1334
Keywords:
"Digital accessibility"; "Disability"; "Higher education"; "Universal Design for Learning"; "Virtual learning platforms"
Palabras Clave:
"Accesibilidad digital"; "Discapacidad"; "Diseño Universal para el Aprendizaje"; "Educación superior"; "Plataformas virtuales de aprendizaje";

Main Article Content

Francisco Nato-Diaz
Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia. Lima, Perú
https://orcid.org/0009-0008-3424-6400
Background: The digitization of higher education has changed how teaching is conducted in universities. Furthermore, it has created new barriers that hinder access to content on virtual learning platforms for students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. This is particularly concerning given that digital accessibility is a right recognized by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Objective: To analyze the standards, technologies, and pedagogical practices aimed at making digital content accessible on virtual learning platforms for university students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Methodology: A systematic review based on the PRISMA 2020 methodology was conducted, selecting 21 original articles published between 2022 and May 2026, retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science, and SciELO. Results: Recurring patterns were observed in the application of Universal Design for Learning and the WCAG 2.1 guidelines, along with an increasing use of assistive technologies based on artificial intelligence and gaps in teacher training, institutional adoption, and coverage of cognitive disabilities. Conclusion: Effective accessibility requires linking technical standards, inclusive pedagogical design, and institutional policies that place students with disabilities at the center of university instructional design and guide future research toward evaluating the impact of accessible interventions.
Contexto: la digitalización de la educación superior ha cambiado la forma en que se enseña en las universidades. Además, ha creado nuevas barreras que dificultan el acceso de los estudiantes con dificultades de aprendizaje y/o discapacidad a los contenidos de las plataformas virtuales. Esto es más preocupante en un contexto donde la accesibilidad digital es un derecho reconocido por la Convención sobre los Derechos de las Personas con Discapacidad. Objetivo: analizar los estándares, tecnologías y prácticas pedagógicas orientados a la accesibilidad de los contenidos digitales en plataformas virtuales de aprendizaje dirigidas a estudiantes universitarios con dificultades de aprendizaje y/o discapacidad. Metodología: se realizó una revisión sistemática basada en el método PRISMA 2020, donde se seleccionaron 21 artículos originales publicados entre 2022 y mayo de 2026, recuperados de Scopus, Web of Science y Scielo. Resultados: se evidencian patrones recurrentes en la aplicación del Diseño Universal para el Aprendizaje y las pautas WCAG 2.1, un uso creciente de tecnologías de asistencia basadas en inteligencia artificial y brechas en la formación docente, la adopción institucional y la cobertura de discapacidades cognitivas. Conclusión: la accesibilidad efectiva requiere vincular estándares técnicos, un diseño pedagógico inclusivo y políticas institucionales que pongan a los alumnos con discapacidad en el centro del diseño instruccional universitario y orienten futuras investigaciones hacia la evaluación de la incidencia de las intervenciones accesibles.

Article Details

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 44 (2026): Octubre - Diciembre

Section

Review Articles

How to Cite

Nato-Diaz, F. (2026). Digital content accessibility in virtual platforms for university students with disabilities: a systematic review. Horizontes, 10(44), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.33996/revistahorizontes.v10i44.1334
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