Text messaging with picture symbols ‐ experiences of seven persons with cognitive and communicative disabilities

Abstract

Current technology offers many possibilities for remote communication. Nevertheless, people with cognitive and communicative disabilities have limited access to common communication technology like text messaging via a mobile phone. This study is part of the project Text messaging with picture symbols ‐ possibilities for persons with cognitive and communicative disabilities. Semi‐structured interviews were used to investigate the experience of using Windows mobiles with adapted functions for text messaging by three men and four women. The participants' opinions about the content and organisation of the project were also evaluated. All participants except one experienced increased possibilities for remote communication via text messaging. Increased participation was another relevant finding. Technical aids and interventions were individually tailored and the majority of the participants thought that Talking Mats for goal setting and repeated interviews during the project had been successful methods.

Citation

Müller, I., Buchholz, M. and Ferm, U. (2010), "Text messaging with picture symbols ‐ experiences of seven persons with cognitive and communicative disabilities", Journal of Assistive Technologies, Vol. 4 No. 4, pp. 11-23. https://doi.org/10.5042/jat.2010.0661