Everyday technology use among people with mental retardation: relevance, perceived difficulty, and influencing factors

Abstract

Background: While the development and possibilities of technology today are commonly regarded to be unlimited, knowledge regarding the technological needs of people with mental retardation is fairly limited. The aim of this study was to enhance knowledge of perceived relevance and difficulty in using everyday technology (ET) such as stoves, cell phones, and elevators in adults with mental retardation. Methods: 120 participants with different levels of mental retardation were interviewed with the Everyday Technology Use Questionnaire (ETUQ) about their use of such technologies in their everyday life. Analyses of variance, post hoc tests, and regression analyses were used to explore the data. Results and conclusions: Participants with moderate and severe mental retardation differed in mean perceived difficulty from those with mild mental retardation, suggesting that increased perceived difficulty in ET use is related to the level of mental retardation. Differences between groups were also found in the proportion of items that were relevant for each person. The variables Level of Mental Retardation, Additional Disabilities, and Proportional Relevance of ET Items could together predict 67.2% of the variation in perceived difficulty in technology use. The findings also indicate that age, housing, gender, and geographical district do not covariate with perceived difficulty in ET use.

Key words::

• activity of daily living
• questionnaire
• technology

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank those people who agreed to participate in this study. They would also like to thank the professionals from the Disability Service in Västerbotten county council, who helped to recruit participants and who assisted with data collection and management. The research was mainly funded by Stiftelsen Sävstaholm. Financial support was also provided through Västerbotten county council.

Declaration of interest : The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.