Systematic review: Investigating the effectiveness of assistive technology to enable internet access for individuals with deafblindness

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to systematically review published evidence regarding the development, use, and effectiveness of assistive devices and technol ogies that enable internet access for individuals who are deafblind. Eight electronic research databases (CINAHL, Embase, Engineering Village MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) and three clinical trials registries (ISRCTN Registry, WHO ICTRP, and ClinicalTrials.gov) were searched. Seven articles met the inclusion criteria for this systematic review. The assistive technologies described were in the preliminary stages of development, with only three of the technologies having undergone any testing. The effectiveness of all seven assistive technologies was quantified in this review based on the proposed impacts of internet access on the domains of the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework. Internet access technologies for individuals with deafblindness are in the early stages of development and are targeted toward specific functions of the internet. It is imperative that future device development and evaluation seek input from persons who are deafblind. There is also a need to address the gap between academic research, which seeks to develop assistive technology to access the internet and the translation into real-world use of this technology.

Assistive Technology to Promote Communication and Social Interaction for People With Deafblindness: A Systematic Review

“…Deafblindness, also known as dual-sensory impairment, is a term used to describe a unique disability in which a combination of hearing and visual impairment is present (Perfect et al, 2019). The term refers to a spectrum of combinations of vision and hearing impairment, ranging from mild hearing and vision loss to total deafness and blindness (Jaiswal et al, 2018).…”

“…The term refers to a spectrum of combinations of vision and hearing impairment, ranging from mild hearing and vision loss to total deafness and blindness (Jaiswal et al, 2018). Deafblindness can be categorized into two distinct groups: prelingual or congenital deafblindness and post-lingual or acquired deafblindness (Dammeyer, 2014;Perfect et al, 2019). Both categories can have various medical and genetic causes (Damen and Worm, 2013;Jaiswal et al, 2018;Korn et al, 2018).…”

“…Both categories can have various medical and genetic causes (Damen and Worm, 2013;Jaiswal et al, 2018;Korn et al, 2018). Although it is difficult to accurately predict the prevalence of people with deafblindness worldwide (Perfect et al, 2019), it has been estimated that of the global population, 0.2% is diagnosed with severe deafblindness and 2% of the global population has a milder form of deafblindness (The World Federation of the Deafblind, 2018). Deafblindness is prevalent across various age groups, but over time an increase in prevalence in older populations is reported (Jaiswal et al, 2018;Perfect et al, 2019).…”

“…Although it is difficult to accurately predict the prevalence of people with deafblindness worldwide (Perfect et al, 2019), it has been estimated that of the global population, 0.2% is diagnosed with severe deafblindness and 2% of the global population has a milder form of deafblindness (The World Federation of the Deafblind, 2018). Deafblindness is prevalent across various age groups, but over time an increase in prevalence in older populations is reported (Jaiswal et al, 2018;Perfect et al, 2019). This implies that about 2.2% of the world population need to cope with a combination of hearing and visual impairment and are in need of adequate assistive technology.…”

“…Therefore, people with deafblindness and their families need any additional support available including the support assistive technology can provide. Indeed, assistive technology, which has been proven to be effective in various other populations (Hoffman et al, 2017;Woensdregt et al, 2020), has been developed to assist with mobility, social interaction and more specifically communication among people with deafblindness (Jaiswal et al, 2018;Ozioko et al, 2018).…”