1. Introduction

This study iInvestigated the subject of inclusivity in distanclusive education from the dimension of technology use, in the context of South Africa, with the intention and by extension that it would apply to is pivotal to sustainable developing and underdeveloped countriement in different parts of the world where access to technology remains a struggle. The issue of what . This perhaps accounts for its inclusivity in distance education from the dimension of access to technology, technology disability and skills is a major subject. Thus,exploringon in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in SDG4, which targets inclusive education. Meanwhile, inclusivity in distance education with regards to issues revolving around access to technology, technology disability and skills especially in the context of South Africa and by extension the majority world is pertinenthas predominantly dimensioned physically challenged or impaired learners. However, with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the sudden transition to online teaching and ^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]}.

2. Application

Thleare is need for educational leaders to consider reconceptualising disabilities and inclusivitning, the quest for a different dimension of inclusive education, especially with regards to the postdigital era to technology, is on the increase. This is based on the notion that disabilities and the need forstudy investigates how inclusivity with regards to teaching and learning in the 21^st centue education is presented in scholarly published ary and by extensioicles in the digital and postdigital eras goes beyond physical impairment. The case of people who are unable to manipulate technological gadget in the corridors of teachSouth African context. Five phases of a scoping review, namely identification, finding/searching, choosing, extraction/charting and learning are to be considered. Moreover, they are likely to experience some difficult situations with regards to teaching and learning as would be encountered by people living with disabilities in various ways. Meanwhile, in the collation, were adapted for the study. From the search using the terms “inclusive” AND “distance” AND “education” AND “disability” AND “South Africa”, a corpus of 73 scholarly published articles were identified. Using different selection criteria such as specific context of South Africa, transforming the higher education sector in alignment with “the South African Constitution has led to increased enrollments of learners with disabilities”the study, 55 articles were deleted. Thus, a final corpus of 18 articles were analysed. From the reviewed relevant literature, themes ^[7]. Fowere instance, “over the last four decades, increasing numbers of disabled learners have entered institutions of highergenerated after retrieved information had been coded and categorised. Thus, inclusive education worldwide. Since 1994, the South African Government has been committedn in the dimension of technological disability is to be explored.

The sto transforming educational policy to redress the past oppression of disabled persons”eps for scoping review as identified by Romund (2017) as well as Arksey and O’Malley (2005) were followed in ^[3].the Tmethisodology:

Step is1: suggestiveIdentification of the efforts being made aresearch question(s) as well as the extent todomain which the nation attempts to cater for persons with disabilities and ensuringneeds exploration. The researcher identified the research question guiding the study which is: What is inclusivity in the higher edistance education sector especially following the long history of apartheid prior to 1994. The same can be said of the majority world which is predominantly African nations and others categorised from the dimension of access to technology, technology disability and skills? The author considers the identified question as a domain which needs to be explored.

Step as2: developing and underdeveloped. In some other instances, these nations are considered as the ‘global south’

Furthermore,Find (search) phase: A search was done on two databases known as Scopus and Web of Scinclusivity in the higher education of underdeveloped and developing countries can be viewed from the perspective of the nations attempting to follow the Sustainable Development Goal (ence (WoS). These two databases were selected following the submission of scholars, which attributes them to being the big commercial, bibliographic databases for scholarly literature.

SDG)tep 4 of the United Nations (2015) ^[9]3: Selection phase: For this study, wthich is targeted at ensuring e search terms were: “inclusive and equitable quality ” AND “distance” AND “education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. In the South African context, McKenzie and Dalton ^[7] ” AND “disability” AND “South Africa”. Following the search, published articles and conference articles were included, while bookstate that “South Africa has undertaken the implementation ofand book chapters were excluded. The reason for the inclusive education as a vehicle for achieving enhanced educational outcomes and equity”. This is indicativon of published articles and conference articles was because of the extent to which inclusive education is embraced and upheld in and by the nation. In congruence, Makuya and Sedibereview process involved in journal and conference articles. ^[4]The remphasize that “the policy of inclusion is one of the key policies enacted by the Department of Education in South Africa since the demise of apartheid” (p. 561). In fsearcher believes journal articles and conference proceedings go through rigorous review compared to books and book chapters. Furtherance, from a historical point of view, McKenzie and Daltonmore, at this phase, the author eliminated ^[7], cierting Gwalla-Ogisi, Nkabinde and Rodriguez ^[6], sain articles which were considered irrelevant following certain crite that “with the advent of democracy in ria such as not being in the specific context of South Africa, issues of curriculum change and provision of quality education to all children of all race groups assumed a high priority, largely which is the focus of the study. Also, articles which did not have inclusive in the main texts but reference lists were excluded because of the preferential treatment of white children under apartheid”. McKenzie and Daltonit implied that they are not in the context of the study. Thus, articles which were in the context ^[7]of hSold the view that “an overhaul of the entire education system was undertaken, and this iuth Africa and had inclusive in the main text, not necessarily reference list were included a reconsideration of sfor analysis in the study.

Stepeci 4: Extral educaction and educational support” (p. 2). In South Africa, although schools as well as educators i/or chart phase: At this stage, the data from selected relevant studies are to be organised. In the context of this study are doing their best to ensure, the researcher organised the final corpus of 18 relevant articles into how inclusivityon in education, certain challenges tend to affect efforts made is considered and presented in different articles by ^[8]. Howevear, Morrison, Brand and Cillierious scholars. In the analysis of the final corpus ^[6]of had18 earlier stated that “dealing with the special needs of learners with disabilities brings new challenges to institutions” (p. 202). This suggests that while challenges are being resolved, there are tendencies for more to emanate. Thus, schools which aim at receiving recognition for morearticles adopted for this study, inclusion was presented and explained in the context of disabled persons. In the other three articles, inclusion was presented in each of them in the following contexts: inclusivity need a proactive approach which cuts across the entire institutional environmenton as per teaching a particular subject considered difficult; inclusion in the ^[6]. Hcowntever, how proactive can the approach be? What would the likely outcome of such be? Meanwhile, all these are in the singular focus ofxt of rural schools and learners into learning activities amidst the COVID-19 pandemic; and inclusivityon in terms of thsocial context.

Ste impaired - people living with disabilities. What then is the fate of those living with technological disabilities due to their inabilities to manipulate technological gadgets, yet living in the digital era? Nothing seems to be said or done about such people. Hence, a crucial question needs to be asked and answers proffered: How inclusive is inclusive education in the digital and postdigital eras? This is because there is need to trace how inclusive education is perceived in the South African context in relation to how it should be in the digital and postdigital eraa. Suffice to state that while, i 5: Collation or summary phase: At this stage, the author summarizes the findings of the study. It is at this stage that the data can be coded, categorised, thereafter theme generated for explanation. Thus, in the context of this study, from the analysed final corpus of relevant literature themes were generated following the coding, and categorization from the submission of the scholars. The identified themes which were discussed are: 1. Inclusivity in the context of historically disadvantaged (black) persons, i2. Inclusivity in the context of physically challenged (disabled) persons, i 3. Inclusivity - for persons with special educational needs (SEN), among others ar4. Way forward.

Se crqucial and provision made for in the South African context, technologically disabled persons seems to be left out. Whilst this may be possible and acceptable pre-21^st cel to the findings of the study and discussions, a submission is made. The scoping revienturyw or predigital era, it is almost impossible in the digital and postdigital era. Technology is a major useful tool in demand for teaching and learningshows that the focus on inclusivity in education as expected has been in the 21^st ceontury, let alone for distance education.

3. Influence

Text of the disabled. Thus, the concept of inclusive education remains a term associated with physically challenged people; in other words, persons with disabilities. In the context of South Africa, inclusivity in education may be attributed to the context of two dimensions, particularly of historically disadvantaged persons who are predominantly from black areas, and physically impaired persons. The However,scoping review therefore presents that inclusivity in the digital and/or postdigital eras, inclusivity is is to be reconsidered and redefined. In other words, the study indicated that the focus on inclusive education in the South African context and by extension the majority world iis directed towards physically impaired or challenged persons whereas non-digitally savvy persons are to be considered.

4. New Progress

Th. Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations are madere is need forto educational leaders to consiin specific:

• Distance education should be reconsidered to include issues revolving around lack of knowledge and skills in the use of technology. This could be as a result of learners’ lack of access to needed technological gadgets and technology such as computers, internet connectivity, technological skills and so forth.
• Also, policies of inclusivity in education should be reviewed and revised to include persons who lack technological knowledge and skills.

Selected refer recences / sources

Romunceptualising disabilities and inclusivity with regards to the postdigital ed, G. (2017). Understanding Review Types: Scoping Reviews. University of Manitoba Libraries. https://libguides.lib.umanitoba.ca/reviewtypes/scoping.

Araksey, H. Meanwhile, distance education should be reconsidered to include issues revolving around lack of knowledge and skills in the use of technology. This could be , & O’Malley, L. (2005). Scoping Studies: towards a methodological framework. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8(1), 19–32. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/1364557032000119616

Citastion a result of learners’ lack of access to needed technological gadgetnd link to actual paper which contains all the references and technology such as computers, internsources cited in the work:

Ulet conanectivity, technological skills and so forth. Also, policies of iya, C. Reconceptualising Disabilities and Inclusivity in education should be reviewed and revised to include persons who lack for the Postdigital Era: Recommendations to Educational Leaders. Educ. Sci. 2023, 13, 51.

htechntps://dological knowledge and skills.i.org/10.3390/educsci13010051