Understanding Mobile Phone Requirements for Young Adults with Cognitive Disabilities

Mobile phones have transformed the way we communicate with friends and family, coordinate our daily activities, and organize our lives. For families with children with cognitive disabilities there is widespread hope, though not always fulfilled, that personal technologies - particularly mobile phones - can bring a dramatic increase in their children's level of safety, independence, and social connectedness. In this research, we conducted semi-structured inter-views with five families to understand the current patterns of remote communication among young adults with cognitive disabilities and their parental caregivers, and the role that remote communication played in increasing independence and safety. While some of the young adults used mobile phones and some did not, we identified common themes in requirements, patterns of use, and desires for an accessible mobile-phone based remote communication system. Requirements include the need for a simplified navigation menu with fewer options and a rugged handset and charger input. Families used mobile phones for safety check-ins and help getting un-stuck. While parents desired increased social involvement for their children, they observed that their children did not often chat with friends on the phone.