Assistive Technology Uses and Barriers in the Home and Workplace for Adults With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Background: Assistive technology (AT) has been successfully used by researchers and practitioners to increase task completion and independence in work and home environments for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. While prior research has shown increased outcomes of incorporating AT into daily tasks, research has also indicated that actual use of AT in these settings is much lower.

Method: The current qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with a sample of 25 adults (22 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and three job coaches) to examine the perceived use and implementation of AT into home and work environments, along with potential challenges and barriers. Interviews were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach.

Results: Three themes were identified: (1) technologies used to support daily living skills, (2) technologies used to support employment and (3) challenges and barriers to using technologies.

Conclusions: Findings indicate that while individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are using a variety of AT in their homes both successfully and independently, they have extremely limited use in their workplaces. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.