ERIC Number: EJ1270643
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020-Dec
Pages: 19
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1744-6295
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Connectedness and ICT: Opening the Door to Possibilities for People with Intellectual Disabilities
Barlott, Tim; Aplin, Tammy; Catchpole, Emma; Kranz, Rebecca; Le Goullon, Damian; Toivanen, Amanda; Hutchens, Sarah
Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, v24 n4 p503-521 Dec 2020
This study aimed to investigate the experiences of people with intellectual disability (ID) using information and communication technologies (ICTs) and the ways these technologies foster social connectedness. In partnership with a community mental health organization, this qualitative descriptive study explored the experiences of 10 people with ID using ICTs. Participants described how ICTs "Opened the Door to Possibilities" in their life -- ICTs provided an avenue for connecting with other people, a means to pursue personal interests and a tool for organizing everyday life. "Opening the door to possibilities" was further understood as movement towards digital inclusion for people with ID, conceptualized as the fit between social opportunity and personal skills. We have identified the prominent role social supports play in creating (and constraining) opportunities for digital inclusion, and that digital inclusion has the potential to enable social connectedness and the development of agency. Consideration of the complex interaction between social opportunity and personal skills, and the mediating influence of supports, will enhance the inclusion of people with ID.
Descriptors: Intellectual Disability, Information Technology, Interpersonal Relationship, Inclusion, Social Support Groups, Foreign Countries, Adult Literacy, Computer Use, Telecommunications, Handheld Devices, Television Viewing, Interpersonal Communication, Interests, Training, Technological Literacy
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A