Supporting independent life in intellectual disabilities: how technology may help

A flourishing research line investigates how technology may help in supporting the autonomy and social inclusion of people with Intellectual Disability (ID). Many attempts are made to increase the use of technological tools in order to make the contexts of life more accessible, not only from the point of view of physical access, but also in terms of access to knowledge. However, previous literature lacks an evidence-based investigation, and a participatory research approach is missing. This preliminary study aims to present a person-centered research methodology involving two people with disabilities who have lived for about a year in an apartment designed for independent living. Participants were actively involved in the co-construction of strategies that might facilitate autonomy in community living settings through the use of recent low-cost devices. Preliminary results are reported with the intent to: (i) explain which are the obstacles/needs that could be met through the use of technologies in community-based care settings; (ii) describe how technological devices may prove to be functional for people with disability (e.g. the processes that should guide the implementation of clear and informative contents).