SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY (STS) AND ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY IN BASIC EDUCATION: PERSPECTIVES FOR INCLUSION

Abstract

The inclusion of students with disabilities in Basic Education constitutes a demand that goes beyond the formal guarantee of enrollment, requiring effective conditions for accessibility, participation, and learning. In this context, the Science, Technology, and Society (STS) approach contributes to broadening the understanding of the role of technology in education, considering not only its instrumental aspects but also its social, ethical, cultural, and political impacts. From this perspective, Assistive Technology (AT) stands out as a fundamental resource to promote autonomy, access to the curriculum, and the qualified retention of students with disabilities in the school context. This study aims to analyze the relationship between STS, disability, and the educational context, with an emphasis on Assistive Technology as an articulating element of inclusive practices in Basic Education. This is a bibliographic research, developed through the survey and analysis of scientific productions and normative frameworks focused on inclusive  education, accessibility, and Assistive Technology. The discussion highlights that Assistive Technology can significantly contribute to school inclusion, provided its implementation is linked to teacher training, curriculum adaptation, resource availability, and the strengthening of an inclusive institutional culture. It concludes that the articulation between Science, Technology, and Society (STS) and Assistive Technology expands the possibilities for building a more democratic, critical, and accessible Basic Education, by favoring educational processes committed to equity, autonomy, and social participation of students with disabilities.