Digital Scaffolding

An educational framework that applies Vygotsky's scaffolding theory to the acquisition of digital skills by people with disabilities, particularly in low-and-middle-income countries. Digital scaffolding structures learning through four zones: the Out of Reach Zone (baseline skills assessment), the Zone of Proximal Development (tailored classroom training with hands-on support), the Zone of Extended Digital Scaffolding (continued learning via digital platforms like WhatsApp groups), and the Zone of Actual Development (independent self-learning and peer learning). The framework recognizes that digital literacy for disabled people requires not just device access but structured, modular training delivered in accessible formats with ongoing community support.