Connectedness and ICT: Opening the door to possibilities for people with intellectual disabilities

Barlott, Tim; Aplin, Tammy; Catchpole, Emma; Kranz, R.; Goullon, Damian Le; Toivanen, Amanda; Hutchens, Sarah

doi:10.1177/1744629519831566

Cited by 69 publications

(77 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Barlott et al . 2019a; Werner and Shpigelman 2019; Seale and Chadwick 2017) over‐reporting the beneficial effects of ICTs for people with ID, leading to a push towards digital inclusion practices focused on providing access to technology. This represents the enchantment of technology, whereby the goodness of technology is the normative starting point.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This study utilises data collected from previous research by one of the authors (TB) that explored experiences of people with ID in relation to ICT use (Barlott et al . 2019a). These researchers descriptively analysed interviews with people with ID and concluded that ICTs created opportunities for connecting with others, pursuing interests and organising everyday life – the authors explored how technology had the potential to enhance agency and self‐determination in the lives of participants.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Further information regarding data collection and methods utilised in the initial study can be found in the original article by Barlott et al . (2019a).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In their qualitative study of people with ID, Barlott et al . (2019a) argued that digital inclusion ‘opens the door to possibilities’ for people with ID, including promoting the development of relationships, encouraging the pursuit of interests and helping to manage everyday life. Similarly, Caton and Chapman (2016) conducted a systematic review of research with people with ID's experiences with social media, one of the most prevalent uses of ICTs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…People with ID are often at the forefront of digital inclusion initiatives (Barlott et al . 2019a; Lussier‐Desrochers et al . 2017); however, there are some concerns from researchers (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A socio‐emotional analysis of technology use by people with intellectual disabilities

Setchell

Barlott

Torres

2020

J intellect Disabil Res

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BackgroundAccess to information and communication technologies (ICTs) is often thought to enhance the lives of people with intellectual disabilities (ID) and is considered an important aspect of digital inclusion. However, inclusion practices often fail to address societal inequalities that lead to and sustain exclusion. The aim of this research was to enhance understandings of the relationships people with ID form with technology by critically analysing the underlying assumptions of inclusion practices.MethodWe employed a post‐qualitative approach to reanalyse previously collected data from face‐to‐face interviews with 10 Australian adults with ID who attended a community literacy programme about their technology use in their daily lives. Two of social theorist Sara Ahmed's key concepts were used to analyse these data: (1) ‘stickiness’ of emotions, where certain (socially dominant) emotions are considered to attach to objects over time (e.g. mobile phone use is normal/good) and (2) ‘fit’ between people and objects, where there is a sense of comfort when objects are designed for people like you – those outside the ‘norm’ experience discomfort and a sense of being ‘othered’ in their interactions with such objects which do not fit them.ResultsOur analysis identified how people with ID often attributed positive feelings to technology even when they had seemingly negative interactions with their devices (e.g. they could not use certain features, caregivers acted as gatekeepers to access). The positive associations were likely the outcome of implicitly held understandings that society highly values technology (Ahmed's stickiness of emotions). Although some participants accessed technology without difficulty, others experienced discomfort due to difficulties using devices that were not designed for them (Ahmed's fit between people and objects). Importantly, some participants had access to technology and the technical skill to use ICTs, but other factors, such as not having many friends, impacted their ability to use their devices in meaningful ways.ConclusionOur analysis suggests that digital inclusion practices focused on providing access to technology may unintentionally harm in ways that are not immediately apparent when working with people with ID. Harms might include further marginalisation or ‘othering’ of people with ID. It is important to recognise that well‐meaning attempts to encourage use of ICTs may be counterproductive if they lead to experiences of marginalisation. To avoid this, inclusion practices could focus beyond access to devices, and the ability to use them, to include considerations of the multiple socio‐emotional effects. What is a good fit is not entirely predeterminable, exploration of the possibilities for what will work well for any individual requires experimentation and creativity, and a careful attention to unintended effects. Beyond this, the development of new technology should consider how to diversify devices that often fail to fit people with disabilities.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Further information regarding data collection and methods utilised in the initial study can be found in the original article by Barlott et al . (2019a).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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