SPLENDID pursued five interlinked objectives. First, to identify evidence-based, digitally-enhanced inclusive EFL practices that Students with Disabilities (SwD) need to develop language skills across CEFR levels. Second, to examine how different learning needs intersect with language learning practices and propose concrete ways to overcome barriers imposed by visual, hearing, physical/mobility, and learning disabilities. Third, to identify what support language teachers need and to train them in inclusive practices, digital tools, and individualised strategies for SwD. Fourth, to investigate the real-world impact of the project's educational materials through classroom integration sessions involving teachers and SwD together. Fifth, to disseminate findings widely and make foreign language instruction more inclusive, motivating, and equitable for SwD across Europe and beyond. Underpinning all five objectives was a firm commitment to centring the voices of SwD themselves — ensuring their experiences and expressed needs directly shaped every practical resource developed, from the Teachers' Handbook and educational video game to the MOOC and Open Educational Repository.
Education is a fundamental human right, yet Students with Disabilities (SwD) across Europe are frequently denied access to quality foreign language education. Research shows that multilingualism attainment in SwD is two to three times lower than in peers without disabilities. Language teachers regularly encounter students with visual, hearing, physical/mobility, and learning disabilities, yet most have received little or no training in how to support them effectively. Evidence-based practices and digital tools for inclusive EFL teaching had not been systematically identified in international literature, leaving teachers ill-equipped and SwD underserved. At the same time, the voices of SwD themselves had rarely been sought in research or educational design. SPLENDID was motivated by the conviction that meaningful inclusion begins with listening to learners directly. The project was therefore designed to address these interlinked needs: to give SwD a voice in identifying their own learning barriers, and to equip language teachers across Europe with the knowledge, practical tools, and confidence to make foreign language learning genuinely inclusive and equitable for every learner, regardless of disability.