The Role of ICT in Improving the Quality of Life of Individuals with Disabilities: A Systematic Literature Review
Abstract The growing use of information and communication technologies (ICT) has enabled progress in interventions for individuals with disabilities. This study aims to review the scientific literature from 2012 to 2022 (the last ten years) on the use of educational technologies as tools to enhance the quality of life of individuals with disabilities. The PRISMA methodology was followed, and searches were conducted in the Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases, yielding a final sample of 21 studies. The risk of bias was evaluated using the ROBIS tool, and a co-occurrence analysis of keywords was performed using the VOSviewer software. The main findings indicate a growing body of scientific literature on this topic, with the most studied skills related to reading and writing. Most participants in these studies had intellectual disabilities or autism spectrum disorder. In conclusion, it is worth noting that scientific production in this area remains relatively limited, highlighting the need for further research. The integration of ICT into everyday life, both in the teaching–learning process and in daily activities, provides new opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
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Alqahtani, S. S. (2020). iPad and repeated reading to improve reading comprehension for young adults with intellectual disability. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 103, 103703. 10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103703
Alqahtani, S. S. (2021). Ipad Text-to-Speech and Repeated Reading to Improve Reading Comprehension for Students with SLD. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 39(1), 1–15. 10.1080/10573569.2021.1987363
American Psychiatric Association. (2014). Manual diagnóstico y estadístico de los trastornos mentales DSM-5. Editorial Médica Panamericana.
Baek, S., Lee, S., & Lee, S. Y. (2022). Association of ICT utilization level and life satisfaction of people with disabilities: Focus on differences in disability type. Asian Social Work and Policy Review, 16(2), 165–174. 10.1111/aswp.12256
Balint-Langel, K., Yuan, C., & Hua, Y. (2022). Teaching the calendar application on a mobile device to young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Journal of Special Education Technology, 37(1), 11-21. 10.1177/0162643420933575
Bassette, L., Shurr, J., Cremeans, M., Bouck, E., & Park, J. (2019). Comparison of concrete and app-based manipulatives to teach subtraction skills to elementary students with autism. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 54(4), 391–405.
Beccaluva, E., Riccardi, F., Gianotti, M., Barbieri, J., & Garzotto, F. (2022). VIC — A Tangible User Interface to train memory skills in children with intellectual disability. International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction, 32, 100376. 10.1016/j.ijcci.2021.100376
Cabero-Almenara, J., Guillén-Gámez, F. D., Ruiz-Palmero, J., & Palacios-Rodríguez, A. (2022). Teachers' digital competence to assist students with functional diversity: Identification of factors through logistic regression methods. British Journal of Educational Technology, 53(1), 41-57. 10.1111/bjet.13151
Camacho-Conde, J. A., & Magán-Alvite, L. (2021). Diseño de una Plataforma de Comunicación Multimedia Móvil (PCMM) en Educación Especial. EDMETIC, Revista de Educación Mediática y TIC, 10(1), 73-99. 10.21071/edmetic.v10i1.12469
Chai, Z., Ayres, K. M., & Vail, C. O. (2016). Using an iPad app to improve phonological awareness skills in young English-language learners with disabilities. Journal of Special Education Technology, 31(1), 14–25. 10.1177/0162643416633332
Cook, K. B., & Sayeski, K. L. (2020). High-School students with high-incidence disabilities’ use of smartphones for self-monitoring. Exceptionality, 30(4), 279–295. 10.1080/09362835.2020.1772064
Du, Y., & Salen Tekinbas, K. (2020). Bridging the gap in mobile interaction design for children with disabilities: Perspectives from a pediatric speech language pathologist. International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction, 23–24, 100152. 10.1016/j.ijcci.2019.100152
Fage, C., Consel, C. Y., Balland, E., Etchegoyhen, K., Amestoy, A., Bouvard, M., & Sauzéon, H. (2018). Tablet apps to support first school inclusion of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in mainstream classrooms: a pilot study. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 2020. 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02020
Fage, C., Consel, C., Etchegoyhen, K., Amestoy, A., Bouvard, M., Mazon, C., & Sauzéon, H. (2019). An emotion regulation app for school inclusion of children with ASD: Design principles and evaluation. Computers and Education, 131, 1–21. 10.1016/j.compedu.2018.12.003
Fernández-Batanero, J. M., Román-Graván, P., Reyes-Rebollo, M. M., & Montenegro-Rueda, M. (2021). Impact of Educational Technology on Teacher Stress and Anxiety: A Literature Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(2), 548. 10.3390/ijerph18020548
Fernández-Batanero, J. M., Cabero-Almenara, J., Román-Graván, P. & Palacios-Rodríguez, A. (2022). Knowledge of university teachers on the use of digital resources to assist people with disabilities. The case of Spain. Education and Information Technologies, 27, 9015-9029. 10.1007/s10639-022-10965-1
Fernández-Cerero, J., & Román-Graván, P. (2023). Aspectos que explican el grado de conocimiento del docente universitario en el uso de recursos TIC para atender a estudiantes con discapacidad. Edutec. Revista Electrónica de Tecnología Educativa, 83, 104-119. 10.21556/edutec.2023.83.2759
Fuentes Gutiérrez, V., García-Domingo, M., Amezcua Aguilar, P., & Amezcua Aguilar, T. (2021). Attention to the functional diversity on primary education. REICE. Revista Iberoamericana sobre Calidad, Eficacia y Cambio en Educación, 19(1), 91–106. 10.15366/REICE2021.19.1.006
García-Peñalvo, F. J. (2022). Developing robust state-of-the-art reports: Systematic Literature Reviews. Education in the Knowledge Society, 23, e28600. 10.14201/eks.28600
Haddaway, N. R., Pritchard, C. C., & McGuinness, L. A. (2021). PRISMA2020: R package and ShinyApp for producing PRISMA 2020 compliant flow diagrams. Zenodo. 10.5281/zenodo.4287834
Hampshire, P. K., Crawford, M., & Sawyer, M. (2023). Maximizing Writing Interventions for Individuals Receiving Special Education Services Through Technological Applications in the Elementary Classroom. Journal of Special Education Technology, 38(2), 239-247. 10.1177/01626434221108885
Jdaitawi, M., Alturki, S., Ramzy, S., Saleh, W., Mabrouk, S., Abdulgawad, R., & Hasan, H. (2022). The effect of modern technology app on the self-regulation skills of students with disabilities. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 11(1), 288. 10.4103/jehp.jehp_1798_21
Kennedy, M. J., Romig, J. E., VanUitert, V. J., & Rodgers, W. J. (2020). Impact of the InferCabulary App on vocabulary knowledge of fifth-grade students with disabilities. Journal of Special Education Technology, 35(4), 204–224. 10.1177/0162643419858077
Larco, A., Peñafiel, P., Yanez, C., & Luján-Mora, S. (2021). Thinking about inclusion: Designing a digital app catalog for people with motor disability. Sustainability, 13, 10989. 10.3390/su131910989
Lin, Z., Yang, L., & Zhang, Z. (2018). To include, or not to include, that is the question: Disability digital inclusion and exclusion in China. New Media & Society, 20(12), 4436-4452. 10.1177/1461444818774866
Matulewski, J., Bałaj, B., Mościchowska, I., Ignaczewska, A., Linowiecki, R., Dreszer, J., & Duch, W. (2022). Learnability evaluation of the markup language for designing applications controlled by gaze. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 165, 102863. 10.1016/j.ijhcs.2022.102863
Mazzotti, V. L., Shogren, K., Stewart-Ginsburg, J., Wysenski, D., Burke, K., & Hildebrandt, L. (2022). Development of the goal-setting challenge app: engaging users to promote self-determination. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 69(1), 331–351. 10.1080/1034912X.2021.1959022
McMahon, D. D., Cihak, D. F., Gibbons, M. M., Fussell, L., & Mathison, S. (2013). Using a Mobile App to Teach Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities to Identify Potential Food Allergens. Journal of Special Education Technology, 28(3), 21–32. 10.1177/016264341302800302
Menezes, L. D. C., da Silva, T. D., Capelini, C. M., Tonks, J., Watson, S., Moraes, I. A. P., Monteiro, C. B. de M. (2020). Can individuals with down syndrome improve their performance after practicing a game on a mobile phone? A new insight study. Learning and Motivation, 72. 10.1016/j.lmot.2020.101685
Misquitta, R., & Ghosh, A. (2021). FABLe: A Mobile Application to Assess and Build Foundational Literacy Skills for All Children, Including Children with Disabilities in India. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 70(4), 575–587. 10.1080/1034912X.2021.1901861
Organización Mundial de la Salud (24 de noviembre de 2021). Discapacidad y salud. https://d66z.short.gy/Qabl9y
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., McGuinness, L. A., Stewart, L. A., Thomas, J., Tricco, A. C., Welch, V. A., Whiting, P., & Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, n71. 10.1136/bmj.n71
Pranckutė, R. (2021). Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus: The titans of bibliographic information in today’s academic world. Publications, 9(1), 12. 10.3390/publications9010012
Pitchford, N. J., Kamchedzera, E., Hubber, P. J., & Chigeda, A. L. (2018). Interactive apps promote learning of basic mathematics in children with special educational needs and disabilities. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 262. 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00262
Román-Graván, P., & Fernández-Cerero, J. (2022). Training of university teachers in ICT and disability. The case of the University of Seville. IJERI: International Journal of Educational Research and Innovation, 17, 135–151. 10.46661/ijeri.6168
Romski, M. A., Sevcik, R. A., King, M., DeLeo, G., Branum-Martin, L., & Bornman, J. (2023). Using a self-guided app to provide communication strategies for caregivers of young children with developmental disorders: A pilot investigation. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 20(1), 73-88. 10.1111/jppi.12436
Whiting, P., Savović, J., Higgins, J. P. T., Caldwell, D. M., Reeves, B. C., Shea, B., Davies, P., Kleijnen, J., & Churchill, R. (2016). ROBIS: A new tool to assess risk of bias in systematic reviews was developed. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 69, 225–234. 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2015.06.005
Williams, P., & Shekhar, S. (2019). People with learning disabilities and smartphones: Testing the usability of a touch-screen interface. Education Sciences, 9(4), 263. 10.3390/educsci9040263
Zhang, B. M., Trussell, R. P., Gallegos, B., & Asam, R. R. (2015). Using math apps for improving student learning: an exploratory study in an inclusive fourth grade classroom. TechTrends, 59(2), 32-39. 10.1007/s11528-015-0837-y
Alqahtani, S. S. (2021). Ipad Text-to-Speech and Repeated Reading to Improve Reading Comprehension for Students with SLD. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 39(1), 1–15. 10.1080/10573569.2021.1987363
American Psychiatric Association. (2014). Manual diagnóstico y estadístico de los trastornos mentales DSM-5. Editorial Médica Panamericana.
Baek, S., Lee, S., & Lee, S. Y. (2022). Association of ICT utilization level and life satisfaction of people with disabilities: Focus on differences in disability type. Asian Social Work and Policy Review, 16(2), 165–174. 10.1111/aswp.12256
Balint-Langel, K., Yuan, C., & Hua, Y. (2022). Teaching the calendar application on a mobile device to young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Journal of Special Education Technology, 37(1), 11-21. 10.1177/0162643420933575
Bassette, L., Shurr, J., Cremeans, M., Bouck, E., & Park, J. (2019). Comparison of concrete and app-based manipulatives to teach subtraction skills to elementary students with autism. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 54(4), 391–405.
Beccaluva, E., Riccardi, F., Gianotti, M., Barbieri, J., & Garzotto, F. (2022). VIC — A Tangible User Interface to train memory skills in children with intellectual disability. International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction, 32, 100376. 10.1016/j.ijcci.2021.100376
Cabero-Almenara, J., Guillén-Gámez, F. D., Ruiz-Palmero, J., & Palacios-Rodríguez, A. (2022). Teachers' digital competence to assist students with functional diversity: Identification of factors through logistic regression methods. British Journal of Educational Technology, 53(1), 41-57. 10.1111/bjet.13151
Camacho-Conde, J. A., & Magán-Alvite, L. (2021). Diseño de una Plataforma de Comunicación Multimedia Móvil (PCMM) en Educación Especial. EDMETIC, Revista de Educación Mediática y TIC, 10(1), 73-99. 10.21071/edmetic.v10i1.12469
Chai, Z., Ayres, K. M., & Vail, C. O. (2016). Using an iPad app to improve phonological awareness skills in young English-language learners with disabilities. Journal of Special Education Technology, 31(1), 14–25. 10.1177/0162643416633332
Cook, K. B., & Sayeski, K. L. (2020). High-School students with high-incidence disabilities’ use of smartphones for self-monitoring. Exceptionality, 30(4), 279–295. 10.1080/09362835.2020.1772064
Du, Y., & Salen Tekinbas, K. (2020). Bridging the gap in mobile interaction design for children with disabilities: Perspectives from a pediatric speech language pathologist. International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction, 23–24, 100152. 10.1016/j.ijcci.2019.100152
Fage, C., Consel, C. Y., Balland, E., Etchegoyhen, K., Amestoy, A., Bouvard, M., & Sauzéon, H. (2018). Tablet apps to support first school inclusion of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in mainstream classrooms: a pilot study. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 2020. 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02020
Fage, C., Consel, C., Etchegoyhen, K., Amestoy, A., Bouvard, M., Mazon, C., & Sauzéon, H. (2019). An emotion regulation app for school inclusion of children with ASD: Design principles and evaluation. Computers and Education, 131, 1–21. 10.1016/j.compedu.2018.12.003
Fernández-Batanero, J. M., Román-Graván, P., Reyes-Rebollo, M. M., & Montenegro-Rueda, M. (2021). Impact of Educational Technology on Teacher Stress and Anxiety: A Literature Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(2), 548. 10.3390/ijerph18020548
Fernández-Batanero, J. M., Cabero-Almenara, J., Román-Graván, P. & Palacios-Rodríguez, A. (2022). Knowledge of university teachers on the use of digital resources to assist people with disabilities. The case of Spain. Education and Information Technologies, 27, 9015-9029. 10.1007/s10639-022-10965-1
Fernández-Cerero, J., & Román-Graván, P. (2023). Aspectos que explican el grado de conocimiento del docente universitario en el uso de recursos TIC para atender a estudiantes con discapacidad. Edutec. Revista Electrónica de Tecnología Educativa, 83, 104-119. 10.21556/edutec.2023.83.2759
Fuentes Gutiérrez, V., García-Domingo, M., Amezcua Aguilar, P., & Amezcua Aguilar, T. (2021). Attention to the functional diversity on primary education. REICE. Revista Iberoamericana sobre Calidad, Eficacia y Cambio en Educación, 19(1), 91–106. 10.15366/REICE2021.19.1.006
García-Peñalvo, F. J. (2022). Developing robust state-of-the-art reports: Systematic Literature Reviews. Education in the Knowledge Society, 23, e28600. 10.14201/eks.28600
Haddaway, N. R., Pritchard, C. C., & McGuinness, L. A. (2021). PRISMA2020: R package and ShinyApp for producing PRISMA 2020 compliant flow diagrams. Zenodo. 10.5281/zenodo.4287834
Hampshire, P. K., Crawford, M., & Sawyer, M. (2023). Maximizing Writing Interventions for Individuals Receiving Special Education Services Through Technological Applications in the Elementary Classroom. Journal of Special Education Technology, 38(2), 239-247. 10.1177/01626434221108885
Jdaitawi, M., Alturki, S., Ramzy, S., Saleh, W., Mabrouk, S., Abdulgawad, R., & Hasan, H. (2022). The effect of modern technology app on the self-regulation skills of students with disabilities. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 11(1), 288. 10.4103/jehp.jehp_1798_21
Kennedy, M. J., Romig, J. E., VanUitert, V. J., & Rodgers, W. J. (2020). Impact of the InferCabulary App on vocabulary knowledge of fifth-grade students with disabilities. Journal of Special Education Technology, 35(4), 204–224. 10.1177/0162643419858077
Larco, A., Peñafiel, P., Yanez, C., & Luján-Mora, S. (2021). Thinking about inclusion: Designing a digital app catalog for people with motor disability. Sustainability, 13, 10989. 10.3390/su131910989
Lin, Z., Yang, L., & Zhang, Z. (2018). To include, or not to include, that is the question: Disability digital inclusion and exclusion in China. New Media & Society, 20(12), 4436-4452. 10.1177/1461444818774866
Matulewski, J., Bałaj, B., Mościchowska, I., Ignaczewska, A., Linowiecki, R., Dreszer, J., & Duch, W. (2022). Learnability evaluation of the markup language for designing applications controlled by gaze. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 165, 102863. 10.1016/j.ijhcs.2022.102863
Mazzotti, V. L., Shogren, K., Stewart-Ginsburg, J., Wysenski, D., Burke, K., & Hildebrandt, L. (2022). Development of the goal-setting challenge app: engaging users to promote self-determination. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 69(1), 331–351. 10.1080/1034912X.2021.1959022
McMahon, D. D., Cihak, D. F., Gibbons, M. M., Fussell, L., & Mathison, S. (2013). Using a Mobile App to Teach Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities to Identify Potential Food Allergens. Journal of Special Education Technology, 28(3), 21–32. 10.1177/016264341302800302
Menezes, L. D. C., da Silva, T. D., Capelini, C. M., Tonks, J., Watson, S., Moraes, I. A. P., Monteiro, C. B. de M. (2020). Can individuals with down syndrome improve their performance after practicing a game on a mobile phone? A new insight study. Learning and Motivation, 72. 10.1016/j.lmot.2020.101685
Misquitta, R., & Ghosh, A. (2021). FABLe: A Mobile Application to Assess and Build Foundational Literacy Skills for All Children, Including Children with Disabilities in India. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 70(4), 575–587. 10.1080/1034912X.2021.1901861
Organización Mundial de la Salud (24 de noviembre de 2021). Discapacidad y salud. https://d66z.short.gy/Qabl9y
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., McGuinness, L. A., Stewart, L. A., Thomas, J., Tricco, A. C., Welch, V. A., Whiting, P., & Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, n71. 10.1136/bmj.n71
Pranckutė, R. (2021). Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus: The titans of bibliographic information in today’s academic world. Publications, 9(1), 12. 10.3390/publications9010012
Pitchford, N. J., Kamchedzera, E., Hubber, P. J., & Chigeda, A. L. (2018). Interactive apps promote learning of basic mathematics in children with special educational needs and disabilities. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 262. 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00262
Román-Graván, P., & Fernández-Cerero, J. (2022). Training of university teachers in ICT and disability. The case of the University of Seville. IJERI: International Journal of Educational Research and Innovation, 17, 135–151. 10.46661/ijeri.6168
Romski, M. A., Sevcik, R. A., King, M., DeLeo, G., Branum-Martin, L., & Bornman, J. (2023). Using a self-guided app to provide communication strategies for caregivers of young children with developmental disorders: A pilot investigation. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 20(1), 73-88. 10.1111/jppi.12436
Whiting, P., Savović, J., Higgins, J. P. T., Caldwell, D. M., Reeves, B. C., Shea, B., Davies, P., Kleijnen, J., & Churchill, R. (2016). ROBIS: A new tool to assess risk of bias in systematic reviews was developed. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 69, 225–234. 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2015.06.005
Williams, P., & Shekhar, S. (2019). People with learning disabilities and smartphones: Testing the usability of a touch-screen interface. Education Sciences, 9(4), 263. 10.3390/educsci9040263
Zhang, B. M., Trussell, R. P., Gallegos, B., & Asam, R. R. (2015). Using math apps for improving student learning: an exploratory study in an inclusive fourth grade classroom. TechTrends, 59(2), 32-39. 10.1007/s11528-015-0837-y
Domínguez-González, M. D. L. Ángeles, Hervás-Gómez, C., & Román-Graván, P. (2025). The Role of ICT in Improving the Quality of Life of Individuals with Disabilities: A Systematic Literature Review. Education in The Knowledge Society, 26, e31381. https://doi.org/10.14201/eks.31381
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