Researching home page authorship of adults with learning disabilities: issues and dilemmas.

Abstract

Being able to use the Internet is a normal and highly valued skill in our society and people who have a learning disability, like many others, are highly motivated to use the Internet and experience all that it has to offer. Access to the Internet can help people with a learning disability to link to the wider world, access and publish information, communicate with friends and others as well as improve their general ICT literacy skills. Whilst there are barriers to Internet access for people with a learning disability, most barriers are not insurmountable. Curiously, there is not an abundance of research describing or evaluating the use of the Internet by adults with a learning disability, but what little there is, focuses on two key areas: accessing the Internet to find information and publishing information on the Internet about self and others. This paper will present an overview of current research and practice that has explored Home Page authorship by adults with a learning disability. Key methodological issues for researchers will be discussed and potential dilemmas for those supporting and working with adults with learning disabilities will be highlighted. The implications of these issues and dilemmas for future research will be explored