“Hands on iPad” – How do students with intellectual disability participate in media aspects of digital and inclusive teaching?

We discuss this result critically in light of theoretical assumptions about the importance of digital media for academic participation in inclusive education. Research needs as well as implications for teaching practice are formulated. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS?: This study provides insights into the academic participation of students with intellectual disabilities (ID) in the context of inclusive education and the role of digital media in this process. As it is assumed, that digital media can foster the participation of students with ID, we focus on both the amount of time spent using an iPad and the way it was used in an inclusive education setting. This paper highlights the potential for a discrepancy in participation in inclusive instruction with digital media, which appears problematic concerning the goal of academic participation for all students. Though the paper cannot provide a definitive answer to how students with ID can achieve equal access to digital media, the results of this study show that this discrepancy must be considered as inclusive and digitally supported instruction progresses.