Prior to the pandemic there was clear evidence that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) had less access to digital technologies and services than other groups of individuals with disabilities, and mainstream users. The expectation seemed to be that the transition to online delivery would be relatively seamless and that essential (e.g., e-health services like online appointments and therapy sessions) services would be easy to access. However, that is not the experience of all individuals with disabilities, particularly individuals with IDD, as that population retains a preference for face-to-face delivery of certain services during the pandemic.

There are existing accessibility guidelines that designers can use to create content or software, for example, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. These guidelines focus primarily on the needs of a population of individuals with a single disability and most often those with a sensory (e.g., visual, hearing) or mobility issue. Relying solely on standards like the WCAG 2.1 seems unlikely to address the needs of people with IDD, a very heterogeneous population.

The first stage of this research project was a scoping review of literature published between 2007 and the present that dealt barriers that individuals with IDD had using Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The second part involved consultations with six individuals with an IDD around their ICT use. The third part of the project involved the creation of a decision tree. The decision tree is intended to act as a tool that can be used by designers and others when they make decisions about how to create ICT that supports users with IDD.