Including the Excluded: How can Social Intelligence and AI help achieve the UN SDGs 4 and 8 for Persons with Disabilities?

Over the years, society has demonstrated varied perceptions toward individuals with impairments, mostly one of prejudice and discrimination. This has led to steep barriers hindering their full integration in various life domains, notably education and employment. Being continuously left out not only...

وصف كامل

محفوظ في:
التفاصيل البيبلوغرافية
المؤلف الرئيسي: Zeineddine, Mariam (author)
التنسيق: masterThesis
منشور في: 2025
الوصول للمادة أونلاين:http://hdl.handle.net/10725/17031
https://doi.org/10.26756/th.2023.795
http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/thesis.php
الوسوم: إضافة وسم
لا توجد وسوم, كن أول من يضع وسما على هذه التسجيلة!
_version_ 1864513473669496832
author Zeineddine, Mariam
author_facet Zeineddine, Mariam
author_role author
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Zeineddine, Mariam
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025-06-25T07:15:20Z
2025-06-25T07:15:20Z
2025
2025-05-12
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10725/17031
https://doi.org/10.26756/th.2023.795
http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/thesis.php
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv en
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Lebanese American University
dc.rights.*.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Including the Excluded: How can Social Intelligence and AI help achieve the UN SDGs 4 and 8 for Persons with Disabilities?
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Thesis
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
info:eu-repo/semantics/masterThesis
description Over the years, society has demonstrated varied perceptions toward individuals with impairments, mostly one of prejudice and discrimination. This has led to steep barriers hindering their full integration in various life domains, notably education and employment. Being continuously left out not only impedes individuals with impairments from living an honorable life but also delays progress toward achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Accordingly, this thesis analyzes 136 survey responses from working-age persons with and without disabilities in Lebanon. IBM SPSS was used to examine the role of technological advancements, mainly AI, and institutional decision-makers' social intelligence in attaining quality education (SDG4) and decent work (SDG8). Additionally, the software analyzed the mediating roles of access to resources and community support. Findings demonstrated a huge opportunity gap between persons with and without impairments. Results confirmed that technology adoption enhances access to resources, significantly influencing the achievement of quality education and employment. Furthermore, decision-makers’ social intelligence was integral in increasing perceived support, which was found to be essential for decent work. However, the link between enhanced support and quality education has not been proven, but social intelligence still contributes to both positive outcomes. Finally, a significant interaction effect between technology and social intelligence was proved to amplify quality education, but not decent work, possibly due to the interference of external factors such as the country’s security and financial instability. This study is pertinent in its potential to inform inclusive practices. It offers policy recommendations, which, when enacted, would contribute to enhancing education and work opportunities for persons with disabilities, shaping a future where they feel heard, valued, and seen.
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
format masterThesis
id LAURepo_3fa899b360c540e847b291220db125bb
language_invalid_str_mv en
network_acronym_str LAURepo
network_name_str Lebanese American University repository
oai_identifier_str oai:laur.lau.edu.lb:10725/17031
publishDate 2025
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Lebanese American University
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository_id_str
spelling Including the Excluded: How can Social Intelligence and AI help achieve the UN SDGs 4 and 8 for Persons with Disabilities?Zeineddine, MariamOver the years, society has demonstrated varied perceptions toward individuals with impairments, mostly one of prejudice and discrimination. This has led to steep barriers hindering their full integration in various life domains, notably education and employment. Being continuously left out not only impedes individuals with impairments from living an honorable life but also delays progress toward achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Accordingly, this thesis analyzes 136 survey responses from working-age persons with and without disabilities in Lebanon. IBM SPSS was used to examine the role of technological advancements, mainly AI, and institutional decision-makers' social intelligence in attaining quality education (SDG4) and decent work (SDG8). Additionally, the software analyzed the mediating roles of access to resources and community support. Findings demonstrated a huge opportunity gap between persons with and without impairments. Results confirmed that technology adoption enhances access to resources, significantly influencing the achievement of quality education and employment. Furthermore, decision-makers’ social intelligence was integral in increasing perceived support, which was found to be essential for decent work. However, the link between enhanced support and quality education has not been proven, but social intelligence still contributes to both positive outcomes. Finally, a significant interaction effect between technology and social intelligence was proved to amplify quality education, but not decent work, possibly due to the interference of external factors such as the country’s security and financial instability. This study is pertinent in its potential to inform inclusive practices. It offers policy recommendations, which, when enacted, would contribute to enhancing education and work opportunities for persons with disabilities, shaping a future where they feel heard, valued, and seen.Lebanese American University2025-06-25T07:15:20Z2025-06-25T07:15:20Z20252025-05-12Thesisinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/masterThesishttp://hdl.handle.net/10725/17031https://doi.org/10.26756/th.2023.795http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/thesis.phpeninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:laur.lau.edu.lb:10725/170312025-08-21T07:28:41Z
spellingShingle Including the Excluded: How can Social Intelligence and AI help achieve the UN SDGs 4 and 8 for Persons with Disabilities?
Zeineddine, Mariam
status_str publishedVersion
title Including the Excluded: How can Social Intelligence and AI help achieve the UN SDGs 4 and 8 for Persons with Disabilities?
title_full Including the Excluded: How can Social Intelligence and AI help achieve the UN SDGs 4 and 8 for Persons with Disabilities?
title_fullStr Including the Excluded: How can Social Intelligence and AI help achieve the UN SDGs 4 and 8 for Persons with Disabilities?
title_full_unstemmed Including the Excluded: How can Social Intelligence and AI help achieve the UN SDGs 4 and 8 for Persons with Disabilities?
title_short Including the Excluded: How can Social Intelligence and AI help achieve the UN SDGs 4 and 8 for Persons with Disabilities?
title_sort Including the Excluded: How can Social Intelligence and AI help achieve the UN SDGs 4 and 8 for Persons with Disabilities?
url http://hdl.handle.net/10725/17031
https://doi.org/10.26756/th.2023.795
http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/thesis.php