Helping a Nonprofit Provide PC- & Web Access to People with Intellectual Disabilties

Yesterday, I visited a nonprofit that serves several hundred people with intellectual disabilities. I met with the executive director, the director of information services, and a representative of the people being served. We discussed setting up a computer lab, providing computers to people living in their residences, and training.

Generally, the people being served do not possess computers. There is a small number who use the computers of public libraries. A poll taken by the representative indicated significant interest in acquiring and learning to use computers, with e-mail being the main purpose. The executive director expressed the need for people also to learn basic employment-related skills, such as word processing, spreadsheet use and job finding.

About computers in a lab and in residences, identified questions included the following.

1. Should and could technical staff resources be extended to set up and maintain computers, related infrastructure, and end-user support?
2. Which other resources should and could be provided: e.g., Internet connections, computers, software, training?
3. How could the agency help protect people from nefarious activities such as scams and malware infestations?
4. What assistive-technology hardware and/or software might be needed? Who would purchase and support it?

I suggested an overall approach. We brainstormed about some potential solutions.

1. Have the three groups (executive, information technology, and the people being served) work together to develop policies. The policies would both offer and reasonably limit:
   1. hardware and software installation;
   2. maintenance and technical support;
   3. services such as broadband Internet connections, and how they could be supported financially;
   4. minimum security standards;
   5. end-user training;
2. Start with setting up a computer lab in part to train people who want a computer in their residence.
3. Set up central management of the computers, as schools and businesses do, to:
   1. prevent installation of rogue software;
   2. keep operating systems and applications up-to-date; and
   3. revert computers to a previously-stored state either regularly or if trouble occurs.
4. Consider router / firewall services:
   1. requiring computers to meet minimum standards before attaching to a network or to the Internet; and
   2. providing anti-virus, anti-malware and, perhaps, Web site-restrictions.
5. Install on computers exclusively a Web browser and software ancillary to it.
6. Train people on the basics of Web-based applications such as Google Docs or Microsoft Office Live.
7. Show people how to use Web-based e-mail or perhaps an e-mail product designed for people with intellectual disabilities.
8. Develop training not only for the people being served, but also for support staff who could help them maintain newly-acquired skills. The representative of the people being served expressed ideas for related funding.
9. Perhaps bring into the residences, after the work with the computer lab has gone well, sharable broadband connections and/or computers.
10. Consider, instead of computers, a device such as the Apple iPad. Potential advantages are:
    1. low purchase cost, especially if it could be used in place of very-expensive assistive technology;
    2. low maintenance, in part because hardware support would be provided by the manufacturer, not by the agency’s technical staff;
    3. a simple-to-use interface that would not require learning how to use a mouse or a (external) keyboard;
    4. built-in connection to the Internet via a wireless- or cellular network.

I agreed to continue in a technical-advisory role. I also committed to work directly with people to learn about their difficulties using computers and the Web, and to help train them to overcome those problems. Such training would be passed on to support staff so long-term assistance could be provided.

I will post updates about the project as it progresses. Have advice? Want to get involved? Please post a comment or contact me.