Barbara Arfé is an associate professor of Educational Psychology and Learning Disabilities at the University of Padua and the Director of the LaBs (Laboratorio per gli Apprendimenti del Bambino con Sordità - Laboratory for Deaf Children's Learning). She is currently Deputy Rector for Inclusion and Disabilities for the same university. Her research focuses on the complex interplay between individual and environmental factors in learning, particularly in the area of literacy and in children with sensory disabilities and learning disorders. On these topics she has conducted both national and international (EU) research projects and served as an expert advisor for UNESCO.