Mobile technology and people with intellectual disabilities: a case study at Apae-bh

Internet-enabled smartphones are becoming ever more used by people with Learning Disabilities (LD) for entertainment, to socialize and enjoy self-expression. Despite this, there is a paucity of research into the experiences of this cohort in using this technology, the barriers they may encounter, or the benefits accrued. The study to be presented addresses this gap by exploring the issues via in-depth group and individual interview and observation with 11 adults (aged 17-40) in a case study at a Day Centre in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, for People with LD. Interviews were content-analyzed to elicit themes such as expressions of self-advocacy; information-seeking, barriers to use etc. Usability issues were also explored by participatory observation of device usage during individual interviews. From such an examination, a rich picture emerged of the part mobile digital technology - the smartphones - plays in the lives of this cohort in Brazil. As the study formed part of a much larger one based in the UK, having similar aims, objectives and methods, results are compared to those being gathered for the UK-based research, to explore any cultural or social differences that may affect the impact of mobile devices on the lives of people with LD.