About 44.6% of adults with intellectual/developmental disability (I/DD) use devices such as tablets, smartphones, or desktop computers to access social media and other web-based technologies, according to a survey about technology use among this population. The remaining 46% of people with I/DD were identified by their caregivers as having a disability that prevents them from using technology. Among those not using any device, 30.7% indicated interest in technology as follows: computer/laptop, 42.9%; tablet, 36.5%; and smartphone, 20.6%.
Use of technology devices was higher among younger people with I/DD than among older people with I/DD. Among those age 18 to 29, 65% of respondents used a device. Among those age 30 to 39, 57% used devices. Among those age 40 to 59, 40% used devices. Above age 60, 18% used devices.
Additional findings were as follows:
- About 21.6% of respondents indicated that they use some type of assistive technology. Of those using assistive technology, 70.9% used it to communicate; 62.5% used it to “do things faster;” 62.5% used it to do things they could not normally do; and 31.3% used it to learn new things.
- About 95% of those who used technology used it mostly at their home. About 97.5% said they liked using it, and 95% said they were comfortable using it.
- About 70.3% said they have Internet access at their residence.
- About 15.5% of the individuals said they were uncertain whether they would face challenges regarding the use of assistive technology.
- About 7.4% of respondents said they needed training and/or ongoing support to use such technology.
About 86.8% of those who used technology devices said they did not use social media. Of the 13% who used social media, the majority were under age 40. About 59% of the users were ages 18 to 29, and 28% were ages 30 to 39.
These findings were reported in “Technology And Social Media Use By Adult Patients With Intellectual And/Or Developmental Disabilities” by Patricia A. Patrick DrPH; Izel Obermeyer, MS, OTR/L, ATP, FAOT; AabJason Xenakis, M.D., MPH; Doug Crocittoa; and David M.O’Hara, Ph.D. The researchers conducted an anonymous, accessible survey of 370 New York adults (aged 18 years and older), or their caregivers, who presented with I/DD between September 2016, and December of 2016. The goal was to explore the prevalence of technology and social media use, as well as uncover the possible barriers, among adults with I/DD.
The full text of “Technology And Social Media Use By Adult Patients With Intellectual And/Or Developmental Disabilities” was published in January 2020 by Disability and Health Journal. A free abstract is available online at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1936657419301505 (accessed January 6, 2020).
OPEN MINDS last reported on this topic in “Ohio DODD To Launch ‘Ohio Family Network’ For Those With I/DD,” which published on November 17, 2019. The article is available at https://www.openminds.com/market-intelligence/news/ohio-dodd-to-launch-ohio-family-network-for-those-with-i-dd/.
For more information, contact: Patricia A. Patrick, Dr.PH., Director of Research, Westchester Institute for Human Development, Cedarwood Hall, Valhalla, New York 10595; 914-493-8203; Email: [email protected]; Website: https://www.wihd.org/researchers/patricia-a-patrick-drph/
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