Digital Accessibility for People with Special Needs: Conceptual Models and Innovative Ecosystems Maya Dimitrova, Member IEEE Institute of Robotics Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Sofia, Bulgaria https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9975-1255 Negoslav Sabev Institute of Mathematics and Informatics Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Sofia, Bulgaria https://orcid.org/ 0000-0001-7539-7880 Mirena Todorova - Ekmekci Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Sofia, Bulgaria https://orcid.org/ 0000-0002-9532-0677 Galina Bogdanova Institute of Mathematics and Informatics Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Sofia, Bulgaria https://orcid.org/ 0000-0002-5463-4274 Georgi Angelov, Member IEEE Institute of Robotics Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Sofia, Bulgaria https://orcid.org/ 0000-0002-5229-4763 Aleksandar Krastev Institute of Robotics Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Sofia, Bulgaria https://orcid.org/ 0000-0002-7409-9942 Nikolay Noev Institute of Mathematics and Informatics Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Sofia, Bulgaria https://orcid.org/ 0000-0003-3290-1439 Yasen Paunski, Member IEEE Institute of Robotics Bulgarian Academy of Sciences Sofia, Bulgaria https://orcid.org/ 0000-0002-4516-5330 Abstract— Digital technologies in present day interconnect globally, providing a dynamic environment to support the educational needs of any learner within a novel technological ecosystem. The paper discusses the identified aspects of providing relevant digital accessibility to learners with various needs by this ecosystem, such as sensor support, knowledge provision from a variety of digital and non-digital repositories, and support to the motivation of the learner to acquire better knowledge in the classroom, museum, or in rehabilitation. A novel tool for assessment of such technological ecosystems, called Accessibility Barometer, is described. Keywords—Technological ecosystem, accessibility barometer, special educational needs, healthcare, robot assistants I. INTRODUCTION Digital technologies in present day interconnect globally, providing a dynamic environment to support the cognitive needs of any learner, linked to the web via the appropriate interface. They are being defined as ecosystems of “developed and linked software, hardware, and people working collaboratively” [1]. One class of such ecosystems are intended to provide digital solutions in the special case of people with disabilities. “These ecosystems use open-access technologies that have a large scale impact, with results that support people with disabilities and provide an enjoyable user experience, in addition to helping them improve their health” [1] (p. 7). We have adopted a similar framework to account for three different types of needs, mirrored in the respective accessibility barriers, when providing digital resources to learners – the sensor barrier, the knowledge barrier and the motivation barrier as central elements of the developed conceptual model. The accessibility model, proposed in [2] has placed the human in the centre, surrounded by several layers of accessibility barriers. The closest layer is the layer of human knowledge, experience and motivation. When providing knowledge, harvested from the web or any other repository – museum, library, school, etc. - this central barrier to accessibility is called intrinsic since it depends on the profile/personality of the learner – motivated, experienced, etc. Educational scenarios/tools, increasing learner motivation, are being employed, including robots as mediators to knowledge [2],-[3], [4]. Next is the layer of the sensor barrier to knowledge. For overcoming this barrier a variety of interfaces of different modalities are being proposed (3D printed objects, Braille keyboards, etc.) or social networks of volunteers to help improve knowledge accessibility, e.g. [5]. The external – i.e. extrinsic layer is the layer of social-economic barriers – the affordability of a device, or of enrolment in a course for people with special educational or sensor needs, etc. according to [6]. The present paper discusses three identified issues in designing digital systems for help in overcoming various barriers to knowledge in the present-day social environment being a complex innovative ecosystem, integrating in itself ubiquitous web access, devices such as robots and systems such as intelligent chatbots. The three issues are sensor support, knowledge provision from a variety of digital and non-digital repositories, and increase of the motivation of the learner, supported by a novel tool for assessment of such technological ecosystems, called Accessibility Barometer [7]. The Accessibility Barometer is foreseen as a universal tool to assess the inclusion in the technological ecosystem a variety of digitally enabled means to support access to knowledge of any learner any time and place [8]. This research work has been partially supported by the National Science Fund of Bulgaria for scientific project “Digital Accessibility for People with Special Needs: Methodology, Conceptual Models and Innovative Ecosystems”, (2020-2024), No KP-06-N42/4, “Methodology for determining the functional parameters of a mobile collaborative service robot assistant in healthcare” (2021-2024), No KP-06-ПН57/8, and OP Science and Education for Smart Growth (2014-2020) for project Competence Center “Intelligent mechatronic, eco- and energy saving systems and technologies” № BG05M2OP001-1.002-0023.