The ISENSE project aimed to promote a more inclusive and accessible higher education environment for deaf students by integrating technological innovation with pedagogical and social strategies. Its main objective was to ensure equal access to university orientation and learning processes, reducing communication barriers and supporting informed academic and professional choices. The project sought to develop interactive digital tools based on holography and mixed reality, capable of transforming traditional orientation materials into multisensory experiences understandable also through sign language. Another goal was to train academic and administrative staff to better support deaf students, fostering awareness and inclusive competences within universities. ISENSE also pursued the creation of open and collaborative spaces for knowledge sharing, where institutions could exchange good practices and develop common standards for accessibility.
ISENSE project was conceived to address the persistent lack of inclusion and support services for deaf students in higher education. Across Europe, these students face barriers in accessing interpreters, orientation, and academic support, often leading to withdrawal from university or exclusion from mobility programmes. The most critical need identified concerns the orientation phase, where deaf students often have limited or no access to clear and accessible information about courses, facilities, and career opportunities. This lack of inclusive guidance tools restricts their ability to make informed academic choices and to plan their professional future effectively. ISENSE was therefore designed to enhance the accessibility of orientation materials and, in general, university studies, through innovative digital and visual technologies, such as mixed reality, holography and artificial intelligence; thus improving both their academic inclusion and their future employability. Generally, the need was to combine pedagogical and technical expertise to design a project capable of bridging the gap between digital innovation and social inclusion, ensuring equal opportunities and autonomy for deaf students in university life.