One of the most disturbing aspects of digital technologies is that they emphasize the extent to which human beings are not ready to deal with the power of their own inventions. Digital technologies have the potential to be devastating to human beings, to create more divisions between classes, to continue oppressing targeted populations, and making them slaves of time spent on technology and of misuse of information. For people living with intellectual disabilities who have been traditionally excluded from society, the inclusion gap is becoming wider as they have limited access to technology and information that is posted on the Internet is usually targeted towards a high functioning population. I attempted to bridge this gap with the Vid-Ability project, a study aiming at helping people with intellectual disabilities develop life skills through instructional videos. This paper describes the foundations of the project and presents the methodology and results and closes with a discussion of the impact of the videos.

1. Vid-Ability: a Portable Computing Project Using
Instructional Video to improve the Condition of
People Living With an Intellectual Disability
Ann-Louise Davidson Ph.D.
ann-louise@education.concordia.ca
Concordia University

2. Three fundamental arguments
1. Human beings need to develop a digital awareness to thrive in the realm of
ubiquitous technologies, because it is not a concrete perceptual
environment.
2. Adapting technologies to the needs of special populations should only serve
as a point of entry to developing functional technological competencies
3. To flourish and learn in the environment of digital technologies, human beings
need to develop a strong sense of ethics

3. Theoretical framework for the project
Person
Adapted from Engeström 1987

4. Theoretical framework for the project
ObjectPerson
Adapted from Engeström 1987

5. Theoretical framework for the project
Community
ObjectPerson
Adapted from Engeström 1987

6. Theoretical framework for the project
Community
Rules
and conventions
ObjectPerson
Adapted from Engeström 1987

7. Theoretical framework for the project
Community
Rules
and conventions
Personal
security
Social
competencies
Ethic
ObjectPerson
Adapted from Engeström 1987

8. Theoretical framework for the project
Community
Rules
and conventions
Personal
security
Social
competencies
Ethic
ObjectPerson
Adapted from Engeström 1987

9. Theoretical framework for the project
Community
Rules
and conventions
People living with an
intellectual disability, their
educator and friends and
families
Personal
security
Social
competencies
Ethic
ObjectPerson
Adapted from Engeström 1987

10. Theoretical framework for the project
Adapté de la théorie de l’activité de Engeström 1987

11. Theoretical framework for the project
Adapté de la théorie de l’activité de Engeström 1987
Objective

12. Theoretical framework for the project
Adapté de la théorie de l’activité de Engeström 1987
Objective Residential and community
integration

13. Theoretical framework for the project
Adapté de la théorie de l’activité de Engeström 1987
Objective
Social integration
Residential and community
integration

14. Theoretical framework for the project
Adapté de la théorie de l’activité de Engeström 1987
Objective
in a society in which digital
technologies are adoptedSocial integration
Residential and community
integration

15. Theoretical framework for the project
Adapté de la théorie de l’activité de Engeström 1987
Objective
in a society in which digital
technologies are adopted
Digital integration
Social integration
Residential and community
integration

16. Theoretical framework for the project
Adapté de la théorie de l’activité de Engeström 1987
Objective
in a society in which digital
technologies are adopted
Digital integration
Social integration
Residential and community
integration
Problem=
double exclusion

17. Survey
Research design

18. Survey
Video production
Research design

19. Survey
Video production
iPod
Research design

20. Survey
Video production
iPod Usability
test
Research design

21. Survey
Video production
iPod Usability
test
+++
Research design

22. Survey
Video production
iPod Usability
test
Focus groups
(participants)
Interviews
(educators)
+++
Research design

23. Survey
Video production
iPod Usability
test
Focus groups
(participants)
Interviews
(educators)
Improvement of videos
+++
Research design

24. Preliminary results
• CRIS (community and residential integration survey):
• Participant’s profile
• Educator’s decision
• Video production:
• Laundry
• Pocket money
• Morning routine
• Eggs
• Pasta
• Personal security
• Participant’s reaction
• PBL-video

27. Interview results
• ...

28. Conclusion
• Contribution for practice:
• Production of resources for people with ID
• Self-advocacy for participants
• Offer means for the development of computer literacy
• Contribution for the advancement of scientific knowledge:
• Development of PBL videos within the constraints of the iPods
• Understand technology learning mechanisms with special populations
• Limitations:
• Transferability
• Generalization of results

29. Thank you!

30. Challenge
• Document positive digital technology integration experiences with people
living with an intellectual disability (ID).
• Create adapted resources to foster the development of autonomy with
people with ID and to improve intervention methods.
• Identify the conditions of the development of autonomy with portable
wireless technology?