Research In Focus: Reducing Inequalities Through Technologies

December 3^rd is observed as International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) by the United Nations, and this year’s commemorative events around the world focus on the theme of leadership and participation of people with disabilities toward an equitable, inclusive, accessible, and sustainable world. In observance of IDPD, we are exploring research on the reduction of inequalities through the use of technologies covered in our regular series, Research In Focus. This series highlights new and interesting findings from NIDILRR-funded studies and presents them in lay language summaries in English and Spanish.

Since the series launched, we have covered articles on how technology assists to increase equity, inclusion, accessibility, and sustainability for people with disabilities.

Equity

• A Novel Technology-Based Intervention May Reduce the Language-Learning Gap for Children Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.
• Robotic Exoskeletons May Provide Health Benefits for People with Spinal Cord Injuries.
• What Would Help Older Adults Trust Robots to Help Them with Personal Care?

Inclusion

• Self-Paced Web-Based Transfer Training Shows Promise to Help Wheelchair Users Improve Transfer Techniques.
• Understanding Care Approaches May Help Shape the Future of Technology to Support People with Dementia.
• People with Traumatic Brain Injuries Who Socialize Online May Be More Involved in Their Communities Than Those Who Do Not.

Accessibility

• People Who are Legally Blind Share Their Preferences for Indoor Wayfinding Systems.
• People with Disabilities Describe Features of Mobile Health apps that Would Increase Accessibility.
• A New Tablet-Based System Shows Promise in Helping Teens with Autism Spectrum Disorder Stay on Task at School.

Sustainability

• For People with Mobility Disabilities, High-Quality Mobility Devices May Be Key for Community Involvement and Independence.
• A New Online Program May Help People with TBI Build Emotion Regulation Skills.

Are you interested in similar research studies? Explore the full series of Research In Focus articles and learn more about plain language research summaries and how the NIDILRR grantee community uses them to share their research results with stakeholders.