The use of mobile apps for social adaptations of people with disabilities

Abstract

The use of ICT is a promising approach to social adaptation of people with disabilities. However, its potential is limited both by institutional barriers and by the low level of readiness of patients. Mobile applications combine ease of development, versatility and accessibility, and are thus potentially able to boost the ICT adoption in social work. The article describes the results of a sociological study of people with disabilities, aimed at assessing the possibilities of using applications for social adaptation. The study was carried out by the method of a sociological survey using a combined technique of personal interviews and an online survey among people with different types of health limitations (N = 197). The results showed that among the respondents there are people with both very low and very high technical, functional and psychological readiness to use mobile applications. Among those who use mobile devices, the majority uses them for the purposes of social adaptation, and positively evaluates the experience of using specialized applications. The results of the survey also help to identify the key problems faced by people with disabilities: financial problems, request for emergency assistance, receiving medical advice, etc. The results of the survey confirm the prospects of using mobile applications for social adaptation and identify the main directions for their development.