Biography
Ms. Ruchika Shokeen is an educator and researcher with interdisciplinary expertise in psychology, special education, and inclusive education. She currently works as an Assistant Professor in Special Education at Lady Irwin College, University of Delhi, and is pursuing an M.A. in Psychology from IGNOU. She holds an M.Ed. and B.Ed. in Special Education (Intellectual Disability), along with an M.Sc. in Chemistry. Her research interests include intellectual and developmental disabilities, sexuality education, parent training, early intervention, assistive technology, artificial intelligence in education, disability ethics, and community-based rehabilitation. Ms. Shokeen has published 10 research papers/book chapters in national and internationally reputed publishers. She has contributed to research projects on adaptive behaviour, specific learning disabilities, and technology-enabled interventions for children with disabilities, and has presented her work at national and international conferences. Her work reflects a strong commitment to inclusive, dignified, and equitable education for persons with disabilities.
Conference contributions 2
DIGITAL DISMEDIATION:
Literature, disability & digital media
Background: Digital media technologies do not merely represent disability; they actively produce and constitute it through "dismediation". Digital accessibility has evolved from a web-dominated "infancy phase" (1996–2018) to a "developing phase" (2019 onward), broadening to e-books, social media, and emerging platforms. The social model of disability has shifted accessibility from medical/technical fixes toward participation, equity, and socio-economic change. Methods: This study integrates disability studies (social vs. medical models), digital media theory (remediation, affordances, platform studies), and close textual analysis to examine how formal mediation shapes meaning. The research compares print disability narratives spanning ten works across nine nations (e.g., The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, A Fine Balance, The Memory Police) with digital-born texts including electronic literature and hypertext. Ten critical inquiries probe screen-reader engagement with visual/concrete poetry (e.e. cummings, Mallarmé), alt-text as translation or betrayal, and whether "audio-first" verse constitutes a new genre. Analysis extends to social media self-representation (TikTok #DisabilityCheck, #CripTheVote; creators including @lucyedwards, Squirmy and Grubs, @spencer2thewest), film/TV accessibility (Sound of Metal, Atypical, Move to Heaven), and twenty community-run versus mainstream digital magazines globally. Results: Digital platforms enable disabled creators and critics (Rikki Poynter, Annie Elainey, Alice Wong) to bypass traditional gatekeepers. Customizable formats transform access needs into formal literary possibilities. Self-representation supplants mediated aleist narratives. Conclusion: Digital media reconfigures disability literature from static representation to interactive, community-driven expression. The "page" is a technology now rendered obsolete by AI and VR futures aligned with UNDP (2023) and ENIL (2025) participatory guidelines.
ETHICAL CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR PERSONS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES:
An integrative review
Background: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly transforming educational environments through personalized learning systems, intelligent tutoring platforms, assistive technologies, and data-driven educational practices. For learners with intellectual disabilities, AI offers significant opportunities to improve accessibility, communication, participation, and individualized learning experiences. However, the use of AI also raises ethical concerns related to autonomy, informed consent, privacy, algorithmic bias, digital exclusion, and human dignity. Despite the growing discourse on AI ethics, the specific needs and rights of persons with intellectual disabilities remain underrepresented in existing literature. Methodology: This conceptual paper adopts an integrative literature review methodology. Relevant literature published between 2020 and 2026 was identified through databases including Google Scholar, ERIC, Scopus, and Web of Science using keywords related to artificial intelligence, intellectual disability, inclusive education, ethics, accessibility, and social responsibility. In addition, key policy documents such as the UNCRPD and UNESCO's Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence were reviewed. The selected literature was analyzed thematically to identify major opportunities, ethical challenges, and principles for the responsible use of AI in inclusive education. Results: The review identifies both opportunities and challenges associated with the use of AI for learners with intellectual disabilities. AI-based technologies can support personalized learning, enhance communication, promote independence, and facilitate educational participation. At the same time, concerns emerge regarding data privacy, accessibility barriers, algorithmic discrimination, reduced human agency, and unequal access to digital resources. Five key ethical dimensions were identified as central to the responsible use of AI: human dignity, autonomy, privacy, accessibility, and social responsibility. Conclusion: The paper argues that the ethical implementation of AI in inclusive education requires a disability-inclusive approach that prioritizes equity, participation, transparency, and respect for human rights. Educators, policymakers, researchers, and technology developers share responsibility for ensuring that AI technologies promote meaningful inclusion rather than reinforcing existing inequalities. Ethical and socially responsible AI has the potential to contribute significantly to educational access and social participation for persons with intellectual disabilities.