The Legal Framework of Accessibility and Its Limits
In Georgia, "EdTech accessibility compliance" is not a separately regulated field: there is no special educational standard for the accessibility of digital products. ADA and WCAG are non-Georgian frameworks and cannot be transplanted directly. The Georgian page is carried by the inclusiveness norms of the Law on General Education: by the definition of Article 2, inclusive education is an equally accessible educational process within which education is ensured for every pupil, taking into account individual educational needs and capability.
This definition is the legal footing by which the accessibility of an EdTech product should be assessed: technology is an instrument of inclusive education, and its compliance is measured by the equal participation it secures for every pupil.
The State Guarantee of Accessibility and the Increased Voucher
Under Article 7 of the law, the state ensures the right of every pupil — including a pupil with special educational needs — to receive general education as close as possible to his place of residence, in the state or native language. Where this right cannot be exercised through the standard voucher, the state provides such pupils with an increased voucher and/or additional funding within a relevant targeted programme approved by the ministry.
Paragraph 3 of Article 7 also determines the directions of this spending: the openness of general education and its equal accessibility for everyone throughout life; the introduction of inclusive and multilingual education; the improvement of the school’s material-technical, programme and human resources; appropriate remuneration for staff; a safe environment; and the uninterrupted conduct of the study process — especially in village and highland schools. Under paragraph 4 of the same article the state also ensures general education in penitentiary institutions. The technological component of accessibility is made possible precisely through this funding.
Adapted Curricula
Under paragraph 3 of Article 9, for a pupil with special educational needs an alternative curriculum, an individual curriculum based on the national curriculum, or an extended curriculum is used, in accordance with which his teaching, social adaptation and integration into social life are carried out.
By the same norm, a pupil of a public school with special educational needs must, where necessary, be provided with the relevant human resource and programmes or services, whose funding is ensured by the state. In the context of an EdTech product this means that the digital solution must fit precisely these curricula.