Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

How to Make Online Social Networks Accessible for Users with Intellectual Disability?

  • Conference paper
Computers Helping People with Special Needs (ICCHP 2014)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNISA,volume 8547))

Included in the following conference series:

Abstract

Participation in online social networks has considerable potential to empower people with intellectual disability who might experience social isolation in the real world. However, this issue has received little research attention. In response to this challenge, we conducted an accessible online research survey to learn how adults with intellectual disability use and perceive Facebook. Results from 58 respondents indicated that they use Facebook much as non-disabled users do to connect with family members and real-world friends. At the same time, the respondents reported challenges such as privacy setting and literacy demands. We discuss these findings and how to make social networking sites accessible for this population.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Hampton, K.N., Goulet, L.S., Rainie, L., Purcell, K.: Social networking sites and our lives: How people’s trust, personal relationships, and civic and political involvement are connected to their use of social networking sites and other technologies. The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project (2011), http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Technology-and-social-networks.aspx

  2. Mauri, M., Cipresso, P., Balgera, A., Villamira, M., Riva, G.: Why is Facebook so successful? Psychophysiological measures describe a core flow state while using Facebook. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking 14, 723–731 (2011), doi:10.1089/cyber.2010.0377

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Steinfield, C., Ellison, N.B., Lampe, C.: Social capital, self-esteem, and use of online social network sites: A longitudinal analysis. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology 29, 434–445 (2008), doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2008.07.002

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Albert, B. (ed.): In or out of the mainstream? Lesson from research on disability and development cooperation. The Disability Press, Leeds (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Haller, B.A.: Representing disability in an ableist world: Essays on mass media. The Advocado Press, Louisville (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Thackeray, R., Hunter, M.A.: Empowering youth: Use of technology in advocacy to affect social change. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 15, 575–591 (2010), doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2009.01503.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Buckley, S., Bird, G., Sacks, B., Archer, T.: A comparison of mainstream and special education for teenagers with Down syndrome: Implications for parents and teachers. Down Syndrome News and Update 2, 46–54 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  8. D’Haem, H.: Special at school but lonely at home: An alternative friendship group for adolescents with Down Syndrome. Down Syndrome Research and Practice 12, 107–111 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD): Intellectual disability: Definition, classification, and systems of supports, 11th edn. AAIDD, Washington (2010), http://www.aaidd.org/media/PDFs/CoreSlide.pdf

  10. McClimens, A., Gordon, F.: People with intellectual disabilities as bloggers: What’s social capital got to do with it anyway? Journal of Intellectual Disabilities 13, 19–30 (2009), doi:10.1177/1744629509104486

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Mazurek, M.O., Shattuck, P.T., Wagner, M., Cooper, B.P.: Prevalence and correlates of screen-based media use among youth with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 42, 1757–1767 (2011), doi:10.1007/s10803-011-1413-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Sevilla, J., Herrera, G., Martínez, B., Alcantud, F.: Web accessibility for individuals with cognitive deficits: A comparative study between an existing commercial web and its cognitively accessible equivalent. ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction 14(3), 1–25 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Hoffman, M., Blake, J.: Computer literacy: Today and tomorrow. Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges 18, 221–233 (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Patton, M.Q.: Qualitative research and evaluation methods, 3rd edn. Sage Publication, Thousand Oaks (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Duggan, M., Brenner, J.: The Demographics of Social Media Users – 2012. The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project (2013), http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Social-media-users.aspx (retrieved from)

  16. Rainie, L., Smith, A., Duggan, M.: Coming and Going on Facebook. The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project (2013), http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Coming-and-going-on-facebook.aspx (retrieved from)

  17. Lenhart, A., Madden, M.: Teens, privacy, & online social networks. The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project (2007), http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2007/Teens-Privacy-and-Online-Social-Networks.aspx (retrieved from)

  18. Kampert, L.A., Goreczny, J.A.: Community involvement and socialization among individuals with mental retardation. Research in Developmental Disabilities 28, 278–286 (2007), doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2005.09.004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Davies, D.K., Stock, S.E., Wehmeyer, M.L.: Enhancing independent internet access for individuals with mental retardation through use of a specialized web browser: A pilot study. Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities 36, 107–113 (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Li-Tsang, C., Yeung, S., Chan, C., Hui-Chan, C.: Factors affecting people with intellectual disabilities in learning to use computer technology. International Journal of Rehabilitation Research 28, 127–133 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Haller, B.A.: Representing disability in an ableist world: Essays on mass media. The Advocado Press, Louisville (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Sevilla, J., Herrera, G., Martínez, B., Alcantud, F.: Web accessibility for individuals with cognitive deficits: A comparative study between an existing commercial web and its cognitively accessible equivalent. ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction 14(3), 1–25 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Sillanpää, N., Älli, S., Övermark, T.: Easy-to-use social network service. In: Miesenberger, K., Klaus, J., Zagler, W., Karshmer, A. (eds.) ICCHP 2010, Part 1. LNCS, vol. 6179, pp. 544–549. Springer, Heidelberg (2010)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Community Mental Health, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel

    Carmit-Noa Shpigelman

  2. Department of Disability & Human Development, University of Illinois, Chicago, U.S.A.

    Carol J. Gill

Authors
  1. Carmit-Noa Shpigelman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Carol J. Gill
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute “Integriert Studieren”, Johannes Kepler University, Altenbergerstr. 69,, 4040, Linz, Austria

    Klaus Miesenberger

  2. Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, M5B 2K3, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Deborah Fels

  3. THIM/EA 4004 CHArt, Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint Denis, 2 rue de la liberté, 93526, Saint-Denis Cedex, France

    Dominique Archambault

  4. Teiresias Centre, Masaryk University, Botanická 68A, 602 00, Brno, Czech Republic

    Petr Peňáz

  5. Institute “Integriert Studieren”, Vienna University of Technology, Favoritenstraße 11/029, Vienna, 1050, Austria

    Wolfgang Zagler

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this paper

Cite this paper

Shpigelman, CN., Gill, C.J. (2014). How to Make Online Social Networks Accessible for Users with Intellectual Disability?. In: Miesenberger, K., Fels, D., Archambault, D., Peňáz, P., Zagler, W. (eds) Computers Helping People with Special Needs. ICCHP 2014. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 8547. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08596-8_74

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08596-8_74

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-08595-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-08596-8

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation