Policy Research Brief: Access and Unmet Needs for Technology for People with IDD: Results from FINDS Survey
New
- Editor(s)
- Emily K Unholz-Bowden, Qichao Pan
- Managing Editor(s)
- Julie Bershadsky
- Designer(s)
- Connie J Burkhart
English
Web
PDFSpanish
Description
Assistive technology helps people in daily activities, such as text-to-speech software for communication, transition planning software, and virtual reality for learning job and interview skills. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) can use technology to improve autonomy, independence, self-determination, and quality of life in education, employment, community inclusion, and self-determination. Schoolchildren with IDD use technology-based support in their Individualized Education Plans, but after graduation, they may have trouble funding the technology they learned to use in school. Adults with IDD may struggle to identify and pay for the technology they need. Government-funded assistance for technology can be difficult to qualify for and arrange. Lack of affordable technology can hinder access and limit the utility and impact of technology for individuals with IDD and their families.
This brief contains data from the Family & Individual Needs for Disability Supports (FINDS) 2023 survey, which asked about the experiences of 3,113 caregivers of individuals with IDD in the United States.
Details
- Date
- October 2024
- Type
- Brief
- Edition
- Volume 31, Number 2
- Publisher
- Research and Training Center on Community Living (RTC-CL)
Topics
- Community life
- Assistive/adaptive technology
- Self-advocacy and self-determination
- Specific disability
- Intellectual/developmental disability (IDD)