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Barriers to using personalised technology with people with learning difficulties
- Authors:
- BARNARD Steve, BEYER Stephen
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Assistive Technologies, 3(3), September 2009, pp.50-57.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
The TATE (Through Assistive Technology to Employment), project demonstrated the potential of assistive technology for people with learning difficulties; in particular a number of areas where personalised technology is appropriate. These included more accessible forms of information, more creativity in helping people to try out and use technology, increased co-ordination between personalised technology providers and social care provider staff, a greater need for an ethical framework to guide installation and delivery, greater emphasis on the impact of staff changes on client social isolation and management of workforce expectation of change due to technology. A number of case studies supported these findings. The barriers to effective use of personalised technology were found to include lack of understanding of technology among statutory and voluntary social care providers, amounting in some cases to positive resistance, funding problems in the sense of confusion as to who should fund which aspects, the ethical questions caused partly by the involvement of manufacturers of the equipment , the need for provider leadership and good practice in understanding funding streams, capital and revenue cost implications, staff roles and responsibilities, and working with and understanding other stakeholder agencies, a need for workforce training at various levels, lack of comprehensive policy (for example the UK having only recently ratified the UN Convention on Disability Rights), and lack of experience of personal budget use to provide personalised technology.