Down syndrome is a genetically based impairment that affects an individual's overall development, including the areas of cognition, sensory perception and processing, gross and fine motor skills, and short term memory skills. Estimates are that there are over 450,000 individuals with Down syndrome in the United States. A preliminary survey carried out by the PIs of 561 young adults with Down syndrome established that they do use computers frequently, but that there exist a number of challenges to the human-computer interaction. The PIs' goal in this project is to impact the quality of life for individuals with Down syndrome by laying the groundwork for improving their ability to successfully use computers in the workplace, for socialization, and for activities of daily living. To this end, the PIs will take an in-depth, multi-method approach to understanding how people with Down syndrome interact with computers. They will conduct an ethnographic observation of 10 very successful users with Down syndrome; this will be followed by a study of 10 typical users with Down syndrome in the area of computer security features, and 10 users in the area of social networking. Through these studies the PIs hope to acquire a more detailed understanding of how users with Down syndrome interact with existing computer interfaces, and how modifications to these interfaces might improve their interaction. The research focus will be on web-based security mechanisms and social networking, two critical tools in today's workplace. Over the last decade, research in human computer interaction and assistive technology has expanded from the previous focus on people with motor and perceptual impairments, to include research on people with cognitive impairments. Yet issues relating to computer usage by people with Down syndrome remain relatively unexamined. This is because in the past these individuals have typically been included with other populations (such as those with Autism Spectrum Disorders or Williams syndrome), as part of a general "users with cognitive disabilities" category, whereas the specific fine motor, memory, and language challenges faced by users with Down syndrome lead them to experience different problems and have different strengths compared to other labeled groups. The PIs' long-term collaboration and involvement in the Down syndrome community will be an invaluable asset for recruiting participants, for conducting the research, and for disseminating findings.
Broader Impacts: The goal of universal usability - to make all user interfaces easy to use for all user populations - continues to elude us. This research will make an impact on both academic research and the practical design and development of applications and interfaces for users with Down syndrome, and will lead to wider employment possibilities and more independent living options related to computer skills.
