This report describes the everyday use of computers by two women and five men with significant mobility impairments. The seven people range in age from 25 to 54. They are all experienced in using computers and the Internet for personal purposes and their everyday work. All of the people in the study require a personal assistant (PA) from seven to 24 hours a day. Pseudonyms have been used to ensure anonymity.
This specially selected group of users is not statistically representative of Internet users with disabilities. Their reflections and answers to questions presented here are based on extensive and rather specialized experience, and hence do not include aspects related to inexperience and/or poor adaptations of the user interfaces.
In qualitative research, content validity is based on an existing, extensive and open knowledge about the subject under study. My knowledge comes from 20 years as a computer user, 15 years as a wheelchair and personal assistance user, more than 10 years as an Internet user, and more than five years of postgraduate studies the area of disability studies and independent living theory. The basis of the latter is that disability is situated and relative, which has greatly influenced and guided my work. This blend of experience and knowledge is the most important cornerstone of my career as a researcher in the field of rehabilitation engineering.
CERTEC, Division of Rehabilitation Engineering, Department of Design Sciences, Lund University
Internrapport från CERTEC/LTH / Centrum för rehabiliteringsteknik, Lunds tekniska högskola