BOT L2 Simples: Accessible Portuguese Rewriting for Deaf Students in Distance Education—Design, Implementation, and Evaluation in IFRO–Ji Paraná’s LMS

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18264/eadf.v16i1.2830

Keywords:

Deaf Bilingual Education, Portuguese As L2, Plain Language, Digital Accessibility, Distance Education

Abstract

This paper presents BOT L2‑Simples, a text‑only accessibility plug‑in that rewrites course materials (LMS pages, PDFs, and slide text) into an easier‑to‑read Portuguese L2 version for deaf students whose first language (L1) is Brazilian Sign Language (Libras) and for whom written Portuguese is L2. The solution avoids avatars and sign translation, prioritizing autonomous reading comprehension through short SVO sentences, in‑place definitions, explicit cohesion markers, and a textual glossary of technical terms. The approach is grounded in interlanguage, L1→L2 transfer from Libras to Portuguese, translanguaging in literacy practices, and retextualization from Libras into written Portuguese, in addition to Plain Language guidelines. The plug‑in integrates with the IFRO–Ji‑Paraná learning management system (LMS) via REST and/or LTI, conforms to WCAG 2.2 (Level AA) and eMAG, and includes usability and reading‑comprehension tests with deaf students in distance education courses. Its relevance is reinforced by the expansion of distance education in Brazil and current inclusion policies.

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Author Biographies

Ilma Rodrigues de Souza Fausto, Universidade Federal Fluminense

 

Ilma Rodrigues de Souza Fausto has served as a full‑time faculty member at the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Rondônia (IFRO), Ji‑Paraná Campus, since 2010. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Science, Technologies and Inclusion at Fluminense Federal University (UFF) and holds a PhD in the same field from UFF; she also earned an M.Ed. in School Education from PPGEEPROF/UNIR. She is currently undertaking new postdoctoral research in UFF’s Graduate Program in Science, Technologies and Inclusion (PGCTIN/UFF). With an initial background in Systems Analysis and additional graduate certificates in Higher Education Methodology, Clinical Psychopedagogy and School Management, her interdisciplinary trajectory is oriented toward educational innovation, inclusion and technological development. As a developer of assistive and health technologies, she designs solutions that foster autonomy, accessibility and well‑being, holding computer program registrations and patents with Brazil’s National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI). Her research activities include the Design Thinking, Management and Industrial Engineering Laboratory at UFF and the TechBridge Research Group, focusing on assistive technology, educational robotics and sustainable social and digital inclusion, especially in basic education and for Indigenous peoples. At IFRO, she contributes to the Integrated High School Observatory (OBEMI) and leads the Research Group Innovation and Technological Inclusion for Sustainable Development (ITDS) in partnership with LABDGE‑UFF. Since 2019 she has coordinated Distance Education at IFRO, working with the Directorate of Distance Education (DEAD) on the design, implementation and evaluation of FIC (initial and continuing training) courses in Computing, Technologies and Educational Robotics, as well as higher‑education programs in Technology in Business Management, Technology in Public Management and the Post‑Secondary Technician in Administration; she also coordinates IFRO’s MOOCs, which enroll 53,000 learners. Her work in distance education underscores a commitment to democratizing access to knowledge and strengthening the digital competencies of students and faculty. Her initiatives have been recognized with distinctions such as the Dama Comendadora Cruz do Mérito da Educação, Cruz do Mérito da Amazônia, Grão Colar Mérito da Educação and Grão Colar Contribuição Acadêmica e Profissional; she won first place in the Seymour Papert Paulo Freire Award for Educational Robotics (2024), received ABED’s Scientific Research Highlight Award (2023), and earned honorable mentions for innovative projects in Libras and augmented reality.

 

Andreia Mendonça dos Santos Lima, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de Rondônia

 

She holds a bachelor’s degree in Languages – Portuguese/English from Universidade Paranaense (2003). She has postgraduate specializations in Methodology of the English Language with an emphasis in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages); Didactics and Methodology of Higher Education; Brazilian Sign Language (Libras)/Teaching; and People Management, Career, and Coaching. She earned an M.A. in Literary Studies from the Federal University of Rondônia – UNIR (2013). She is currently a tenured professor and Director of Education at the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology – IFRO. Her experience is in the field of Language and Literature, with emphasis on English, Portuguese, and Libras, working mainly on teaching and educational management.

 

Ruth Maria Mariani Braz, Universidade Federal Fluminense

 

I hold a PhD in Science and Biotechnology from Fluminense Federal University (UFF), with a focus on education. My degree has been recognized in Portugal by the School of Education at the University of Minho. I completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Graduate Program in Science, Technology and Inclusion at UFF. I currently teach in the Professional Master’s in Diversity and Inclusion as a permanent faculty member, and in UFF’s Graduate Program in Science, Technologies and Inclusion. My research focuses on teacher education, inclusive education, assistive technology, and the development of instructional materials. I coordinate the Galileu Galilei Project and am part of the research group “Computational Technologies in Teaching and Learning from the perspective of Diversity, Inclusion and Innovation.” I am also a member of the International Association for Inclusion, Interculturality and Pedagogical Innovation (AIIIIPe).

 

Fabiana Rodrigues Leta, Universidade Federal Fluminense

 

Full Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Fluminense Federal University (UFF). She holds a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from UFF (1989), an M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC‑Rio) (1992), and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from PUC‑Rio (1998). She served as Director of UFF’s School of Engineering from November 2018 to February 2020. She was responsible for creating AGIR – UFF’s Innovation Agency, serving as its director from 2009 to 2014. She was editor of the School of Engineering’s journal Engevista until 2016. She coordinates the Dimensional and Computational Metrology Laboratory, which she established at UFF. She is a member of the Associação Brasileira Ciências de Engenharia Mecânicas and the Associação Brasileira de Educação em Engenharia. She works in UFF’s Graduate Program in Science, Technologies and Inclusion and in the Graduate Program in Mechanical Engineering. She coordinates several projects and supervises undergraduate and graduate students. She is a tutor in the Programa de Educação Tutorial (MEC‑SESu). Her research focuses mainly on Computer Vision, Metrology, Education, Assistive Technology, Inclusion, and Oil & Gas.

 

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Published

2026-08-28

How to Cite

Fausto, I. R. de S., Lima, A. M. dos S., Braz, R. M. M., & Leta, F. R. (2026). BOT L2 Simples: Accessible Portuguese Rewriting for Deaf Students in Distance Education—Design, Implementation, and Evaluation in IFRO–Ji Paraná’s LMS. EaD Em Foco, 16(1), e2830. https://doi.org/10.18264/eadf.v16i1.2830

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 1 (2026)

Section

Estudos de Caso

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