Wisman Hadi, Lili Tansliova, Trisnawati Hutagalung, S. Kana Saputra
This research develops a digital product based on North Sumatra folklore, utilizing Augmented Reality (AR) as an educational tourism literacy tool for children with special needs in Indonesia. Using the Research and Development (R&D) method, the study involved 30 students from Sekolah Luar Biasa (SLB) TPI Medan, comprising autistic, deaf, and disabled children aged 9–13. Findings show that digitizing folklore with AR is highly effective, receiving an average positive response of 87.4% in clarity, presentation, language, and appeal. Over 90% of respondents found the product beneficial to understanding North Sumatra’s ethnic diversity, cultural heritage, and tourism. The interactive AR-based approach significantly enhanced students' learning experiences. © 2025 ACADEMY PUBLICATION.
Faculty of Language and Arts, State University of Medan, Medan, Indonesia
