Embodied inclusion in emotionally aware hybrid learning environments: A case study on visual impairment.

This proposal explores the design of hybrid, emotionally aware learning environments through a case study in an Italian upper-secondary classroom involving a student with a visual impairment. Grounded in embodied cognition and sociocultural theory, the study investigates how interaction, space, and mediational tools co-construct accessibility and participation. Data were collected using multiple qualitative methods and analyzed through reflexive thematic analysis. Findings highlight the emergence of a “distributed didactic body” in which relational, spatial, and technological elements dynamically shape inclusion. Within such hybrid ecologies, technology functions not merely as a compensatory tool but as a relational interface that can either enhance or hinder affective attunement. The study argues for the intentional design of learning environments that integrate sensory, digital, and social dimensions to support both cognitive access and a sense of emotional belonging.