Inclusion and the Internet: Teaching Adults with Developmental Disabilities to Use Information and Communication Technology
Susan D. Moisey, Rhonda van de Keere · 2007
Adults with developmental disabilities are often excluded from participating in a variety of online activities, which are part of everyday life in our digital, knowledge-based society, using information and communication technology (ICT). Numerous barriers are associated with their non-participation, including a lack of basic computer and Internet skills. In recognition of these limitations, 11 adults with developmental disabilities were provided with individualized training and assistive technology in order to learn how to use e-mail and access web-based informational resources. The outcomes revealed that the subjects gained basic ICT skills while engaging in recreational online activities, and that appropriate assistive technologies (voice e-mail and text-to-speech software) compensated for low literacy skills. The study contributes to the scarce literature on online inclusion, offers protocols for teaching e-mail and Internet searching, and advocates for the further inclusion of adults with developmental disabilities into the ”global community” where ICT can be a lifeenhancing and even a life-altering tool.