Teaching by Caring: Challenges and Innovations for Accessible and Inclusive Distance Learning in Health Education

Abstract

This article presents a critical reflection on the challenges and possibilities of building an accessible and inclusive distance education model for health training. Grounded in a theoretical-conceptual approach, the study discusses the importance of incorporating care as a pedagogical axis in distance education, integrating principles of inclusion, equity, and social justice. It starts from the understanding that digital accessibility is both a right and a criterion of educational quality, and that its absence compromises the academic success and participation of various groups, especially persons with disabilities, those living in marginalized territories, and professionals with low technological literacy. Based on three analytical axes — care in digital education, accessibility and intersectionality, and pedagogical innovation — the article problematizes exclusionary practices still present in virtual health education and proposes strategies for constructing more humane, sensitive, and plural learning environments. It argues that innovation in distance education should not be limited to technological advances but must also involve ethical and institutional transformations, including active listening, universal design for learning, teacher training, and inclusive education policies. The study concludes that teaching in health is also an act of caring and that a truly transformative distance education must embrace diversity as a core element of professional training, making education a space for inclusion, commitment, and emancipation.

Keywords: Education. Health training. Distance education. Inclusion. Digital accessibility.