Self-Management of Orientation Technology and Auditory Cues for Indoor Travel by Two Persons with Multiple Disabilities

Abstract

This study was an effort to extend the evaluation of orientation technology for promoting independent indoor traveling in persons with multiple disabilities. Two participants (adults) were included, who were to travel within their apartment and work place. The system adopted involved cueing sources only at the destinations (i.e., a single sound source per destination); thus, it was simplified compared to previous systems. Moreover, it involved a new operation-control device that allowed the participants to easily manage on their own the activation of the sources and, for one of the participants, also the frequency of the cueing. The results showed that both participants were successful in using the system on their own and thus performed their traveling correctly (independently) and in relatively short amounts of time. Moreover both of them indicated a clear preference for traveling with the use of the system rather than without it. The findings and their implications were discussed in relation to the new technology and the characteristics of the participants.