We Research: Technology supporting everyday life – participation and agency of people with intellectual disabilities
The everyday life of people with intellectual disabilities consists of many situations where independent action, participation, and expressing one’s own will can be challenging. Participation is linked to the possibility of influencing one’s own life, to be heard as an equal actor, making choices, and taking part in activities that are meaningful to oneself. It is often about ordinary moments: what happens next, how to ask for help, how to be heard, or how to move safely and predictably from one situation to another.
Various technological solutions open new possibilities to support everyday life and participation of people with intellectual disabilities. For the solutions to be genuinely useful, they must be built on real everyday needs and attach naturally to daily routines. Without the users’ own participation in development, technologies may remain detached from experiments and, in the worst case, increase inequality. The TOTA project examines how technology can be used to support the everyday life, participation, and agency of people with intellectual disabilities at home, during leisure time, and in services.
In the TOTA project, the focus is on understanding what kinds of everyday situations people with intellectual disabilities feel they need support, and how technological solutions can respond to these needs. Attention is paid to structuring everyday life, supporting executive functioning, communication and interaction, and time management. The project also examines how technology can support interaction, the expression of one’s own will, and making decisions about matters that concern oneself. Another point of interest is how technological solutions can increase the sense of safety and reduce the burden of everyday life.
A key goal is to understand under what conditions technology becomes embedded in everyday life and in service structures. In the TOTA project, solutions are not viewed as separate tools, but as part of everyday practices and the broader culture of action. The solutions are designed using co-creation methods and evaluated together with users.
Technological solutions to support everyday life
The TOTA project is carried out in the Pirkanmaa and Satakunta regions as multidisciplinary collaboration, where people with intellectual disabilities participate in joint development work together with professionals, service developers, and technology specialists. At the heart of the project is the active participation of people with intellectual disabilities.
The research and development work began with workshops for professionals, in which everyday situations were identified where participation and independent action are challenging. Based on these findings, technological solutions to support everyday life were developed.
People with intellectual disabilities took part in the workshops to identify everyday needs, bring out their own experiences, and assess what kinds of solutions feel meaningful and functional. They tested different technologies and influenced their development through the feedback they provided. After this, selected solutions have been piloted over longer periods as part of everyday life, which has made it possible to examine both technical functionality and user experiences. During the pilots, people with intellectual disabilities have actively brought up wishes for development and change that have guided the further development of the solutions.
Procurement for everyday use
The TOTA project produces practical knowledge on how the development and implementation of technology are carried out in services for people with intellectual disabilities, and how these processes affect the use of technology in everyday life. The findings suggest that the effectiveness of technology does not depend only on the solution itself, but also on clear development and implementation processes, the competence of professionals, and their attitudes towards technology.
The findings provide a foundation for developing coherent operational frameworks and enhancing staff competence in the use of technological solutions and supporting direct client work. Unclear responsibilities and fragmented information flow can slow down implementation, whereas client-oriented planning and a functional process make it possible to use technology in a timely and effective way as part of everyday life.
Did you know?
- Many everyday challenges of people with intellectual disabilities are related to ordinary things, such as understanding schedules and managing transitions between situations.
- Wearable technology can make it possible to ask for help or express one’s needs even when communication through speech is not possible.
- Virtual environments allow individuals to explore new places prior to a physical visit, enhancing situational predictability and supporting preparation for new situations.
- User feedback plays a central role in the development of technological solutions that are both functional and meaningful to users.
