BOSTON — A student with a disability at Hudson Public Schools will be able to participate in lessons and interact with other pupils through a robot attending class in the student’s stead, U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling’s office announced this week.

Federal prosecutors and Hudson Public Schools struck a voluntary compliance agreement that Lelling’s office said “will ensure effective communication for students with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act.”

The student had requested to use a robot that can see, hear and move around the classroom under the student’s off-site control in order that the student participate in interactive classwork.

“In addition to facts and figures, students learn important social and collaborative skills in the classroom. As new technologies emerge that enable students with disabilities to be able to communicate effectively in classroom discussions and share more fully in those learning experiences, we must ensure that unnecessary and unlawful barriers do not inhibit their ability to fully participate in the classroom environment,” Lelling said.

“We commend Hudson Public Schools for the proactive steps they have already taken to meet this goal, including allowing the student to use the auxiliary aid ‘robot,’ and for their cooperation throughout our investigation,” he said.

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