Abstract:

Although the use of information and communication technologies enables and facilitates the social integration of people with disabilities, they often face numerous difficulties of a physical, economic, social and psychological nature. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006) emphasizes the importance of ensuring, among other things, the accessibility of persons with disabilities to information, communication and information and communication technologies and systems. The focus of this work is on adults with intellectual disabilities, for whom the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) can increase autonomy, promote integration, or facilitate the acquisition of functional knowledge and skills of everyday life that promote inclusion and improves their overall quality of life. Since the quality of modern life largely depends on the use and general availability of new technologies, the use of ICT is an indispensable part of the information (digital) society. In this paper the term ICT is defined as a technical (assistive) tool in the process of acquiring everyday life skills of adults with intellectual disabilities. In addition, the paper provides a terminological definition of the term intellectual disability (IT) in the context of a social model, that is, a holistic view of a person as a complex bio-psycho-social system. Due to the lack of research in the national and international framework targeting the population of adults with intellectual disabilities, an exploratory study was conducted on an adequate sample of adults with IT, users of the social services of the Center for Rehabilitation Rijeka, Croatia. The purpose of the research is to explore the ways in which ICT is used by adults with intellectual disabilities on a daily basis, i.e. the possibilities and limitations of using ICT as an assistive tool and medium to facilitate the acquisition of everyday life skills, such as self-care, living at home, orientation in the immediate environment, managing money, using public transport, regulating emotions, etc. In addition to promoting the rights of people with disabilities, this work contributes to improving the quality of life of adults with intellectual disabilities. An additional contribution is the definition the term intellectual disability in the context of the social model and to provide insight into how ICT is used by adults with IT.

Keywords:

Intellectual disabilities, adults with intellectual disabilities, competencies of everyday life, daily living skills, inclusion, inclusive pedagogy, ICT.