E-health and welfare technology offer new ways to support health and social care delivery. While initiatives are made to engage disadvantaged user groups in innovation, people with intellectual disabilities tend to be excluded from design activities. This is a concern as this group can benefit from the use of assistive technology. However, it can be time-consuming and challenging to involve end-users in the design of technology. This calls for processes that are creative, empowering and that facilitate user involvement. In this study, we report and reflect on the process of using photovoice to understand user needs and to empower participants with intellectual disability in an innovation process. Nine persons with intellectual disability participated in photovoice to identify user needs connected to the design of assistive technology. The findings in our study suggest that the use of photovoice can contribute to the sharing of contextual and individual needs and an empowerment process that includes coping, self-determination and ownership. Photovoice can be a tool to reduce or remove some of the challenges that are faced when identifying user needs and is a way to strengthen the individual’s capacity to cope with the demands of participating in an innovation process.
Background
Information and communication technology has become an important aspect of everyday life, including community living and social participation. However, people with intellectual disabilities face several societal inequalities, including digital exclusion. Even if people with intellectual disabilities still do not have the same access as others, this group is increasingly involved in digital technology design activities. Although digital technology design activities can lead to several user gains, little is known about how such activities affect digital inclusion. Therefore, we explore whether and how participation in digital technology design activities can support the digital inclusion of young adults with intellectual disabilities.
Methods
We interviewed seven young adults with intellectual disabilities about their participation in ten digital technology design sessions. We also collected reflective notes from eight support workers who participated in the same design activities. The interviews were analysed thematically.
Findings
Thematic analysis generated four themes describing how participation in technology design activities can support the digital inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities: improving digital skills and knowledge, displaying skills and competence, increased interest in technology use, and influencing and adapting technology.
Conclusions
Participation in digital technology design activities with support workers can provide new opportunities for young adults with intellectual disabilities and can help overcome several digital activity barriers. Designers and researchers should increasingly, and actively involve people with intellectual disability in digital technology design activities as it can support and promote digital inclusion.
User involvement in technology design processes can have positive implications for the designed service, but less is known about how such participation affects people with intellectual disabilities. We explored how 13 individuals with intellectual disabilities experienced participation in the design of a transport support application. The study is based on qualitative interviews, photovoice interviews, participant observations, and Smileyometer ratings. A thematic analysis generated the following themes: a sense of pride and ownership, an experience of socialization, and a sense of empowerment. The findings suggest that participation in design activities is a primarily positive experience that develops the participants' skills. However, experiences such as boredom may occur. The variability within the experiences of the participants show that it is crucial to be aware of individuality, preferences, and personal interests when designing with people with intellectual disabilities.
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