Navigating the Cyborg Classroom: Telepresence Robots, Accessibility Challenges, and Inclusivity in the Classroom
Houda Elmimouni, Selma Šabanović, Jennifer A. Rode · 2024 · ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing · doi:10.1145/3672569
Summary
This field study examines how telepresence robots—mobile robots with screens that allow remote users to move through physical spaces—facilitate or hinder accessibility and inclusivity in university classrooms. The researchers conducted participatory observations, surveys, and interviews with 22 students who attended classes remotely via Beam telepresence robots at Indiana University Bloomington. Drawing on Williams' provocative argument that "all robots are disabled," the study frames the limitations of telepresence technology through a disability studies lens, exploring how the constraints experienced by robot operators mirror challenges faced by people with disabilities. The study categorizes telepresence limitations into two domains: receptive abilities (receiving information from the environment) and expressive abilities (communicating and moving in space). For receptive abilities, participants reported vision limitations (19 students couldn't adequately see slides, whiteboards, or classroom artifacts even when zooming), auditory limitations (11 students struggled to hear instructors or classmates, particularly during Q&A sessions), and situational awareness limitations (13 students felt they lacked a full sense of "what's going on" around them). For expressive abilities, students faced speech challenges (difficulty determining appropriate volume, inability to attract attention when raising hands on screen), and mobility limitations (getting stuck on obstacles, inability to climb stairs, slow movement speed compared to peers). The research is notable for its theoretical framing: rather than treating accessibility challenges as purely technical problems, the authors position telepresence users as "cyborgs"—human-robot hybrids who gain new abilities (remote participation, amplified voice projection) while simultaneously acquiring new disabilities (restricted vision, impaired hearing, limited mobility). This framing connects remote learners' experiences to broader disability scholarship and suggests that solutions benefiting telepresence users would also benefit students with disabilities.
Key findings
The study reveals that telepresence robot limitations significantly impact classroom inclusivity. Students reported feeling excluded from discussions because they couldn't hear what was said, missing content due to inadequate visual access, and struggling to participate because raising their hand on screen went unnoticed by instructors. One participant described positioning the robot near teammates but realizing "it's really hard to communicate and be at the same place"—forced to choose between social inclusion and content access. Mobility limitations created social dynamics paralleling wheelchair users' experiences. Multiple participants noted that the robot's slow speed made them feel "handicapped" when forming teams, and one explicitly compared navigating narrow hallways to "exactly how it feels like to be in a wheelchair." The inability to climb stairs required human assistance, and students worried about getting stuck or disrupting classmates by moving. Both operators and classmates developed mitigation strategies. Operators moved to front rows for better visibility, adjusted volume levels, and negotiated positioning. Classmates sometimes helped—reading articles aloud, moving obstacles, helping form teams faster—though this assistance was inconsistent and sometimes unsolicited. The research highlights "articulation work" required to use telepresence effectively: monitoring battery, WiFi, volume, camera angles, and interpersonal distance, which creates cognitive load beyond simply attending class. The authors provide concrete recommendations for instructors (increase font sizes, follow WCAG 2.2 contrast guidelines, repeat questions from the back, share materials online) and for robot designers (higher resolution cameras, multiple microphones with switching capability, obstacle detection sensors, captioning support, adjustable height displays).
Relevance
This research offers critical insights for educational institutions adopting telepresence technology, particularly in post-pandemic contexts where remote participation remains important for students with chronic illnesses, disabilities, or immunocompromised conditions. The finding that telepresence creates "new disabilities" for users challenges assumptions that technology automatically improves access—without thoughtful implementation, it can create new barriers while solving others. For accessibility practitioners, the study's disability studies framing is valuable: rather than treating disabled students and remote students as separate populations with distinct needs, the authors argue that accessibility improvements benefit both groups. Larger fonts, better audio systems, accessible spaces, and clear visual materials help everyone. This aligns with universal design principles and provides evidence for institutions hesitant to invest in accessibility infrastructure. The practical recommendations translate directly to classroom and institutional policy. Organizations deploying telepresence should ensure spaces are physically accessible (no stairs between docking stations and classrooms), train instructors on inclusive practices, and consider hybrid approaches that supplement robot audio/video with shared digital materials. The emphasis on captioning and multiple audio channels also points to features that telepresence manufacturers should prioritize. Ultimately, the study cautions that telepresence is promising but "these challenges must be met lest it be used as a new means of marginalizing and disabling students."
Tags: telepresence robots · remote learning · classroom accessibility · robotics · cyborg · inclusive education · human-robot interaction · higher education
Standards referenced: WCAG 2.2