The digital literacy of those with disabilities predicted by support needs and social maturity

What is it about?

This study investigated relationships between digital propensity and support needs as well as predictors of digital propensity in the context of support intensity, age, gender, and social maturity. A total of 118 special education teachers rated the support intensity, digital propensity, and social maturity of 352 students with intellectual disability (ID). Leveraging the Digital Propensity Index, Supports Intensity Scale, and the Social Maturity Scale, descriptive statistics, correlations, multiple regressions, and regression analyses were used. Finding significant relationships between digital propensity and support needs, and significant predictors of digital propensity with regard to support intensity, age, gender, and social maturity.

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Why is it important?

While AT clearly represents an important support for those with disabilities, literacy with regard to technology use has seen little consideration in special education. Granted, the matter of digital literacy has been highly debated, but this has been done without much attention paid to those with disabilities, specifically those with ID. This is unfortunate, because it has been asserted that digital literacy can enhance access to information and communication technology, leading to full participation and inclusion in society. So although digital technology promises to remove or diminish the obstacles that prevent engagement in daily activities, little interest has been paid to ways in which to help those with ID acquire such skills resulting in these individuals being neglected and socially marginalized. To better understand digital literacy and support systems for youth and young adults with ID, this study identified the relationships between digital literacy and support needs.

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