Exploring technology for the intellectually disabled
From video games, to smartphone apps, to geo-tagging on Facebook, technology plays an ever-increasing role in just about everyone’s life. At Michigan State University, researchers in the field of rehabilitation counseling want to know how technology can make a difference for those with intellectual disabilities.

Last fall, MSU co-hosted an international conference on the topic in Ireland and announced that it would join an interdisciplinary research team to study the issue. The newly formed Interdisciplinary Research Institute on Intellectual Disability (IRIID) at the Daughters of Charity Service in Ireland aims to help inform policy and practice while also improving service, care and outcomes for individuals served by the charity.

The partnership consists of the Office of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies located within the MSU College of Education and five Irish universities: Dublin City University, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin and University of Limerick in Ireland. IRIID hopes to address the role of assistive technology in the daily lives of those with the most severe and significant intellectual disabilities, such as mental retardation and some forms of autism. Up until now, the research within this population has been limited at best.

“I am very confident that our interdisciplinary institute will lead to an increased amount of attention from researchers, product designers and practitioners on the technology needs of those with intellectual disabilities,” said Professor Michael Leahy, director of the Office of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies at MSU. Leahy, who also traveled to Ireland for the official IRIID opening this April, explained that the study of technology will be one of the research hubs for the institute, which will pursue a broad scope of research focused on the livelihoods of people with intellectual disabilities.

Study Abroad Leads to Partnership
The research institute is the result of an ongoing relationship that was built over a five-year period between the rehabilitation counseling programs at MSU and the Daughters of Charity, which provides services for persons with an intellectual disability in the Dublin and Limerick regions. In 2007, MSU launched an innovative study abroad program in Ireland called Disability in a Diverse Society to expand study abroad opportunities for students with disabilities and to examine issues related to their experiences.

While Disability in a Diverse Society has received widespread attention for making study abroad accessible, Leahy has focused on developing a program that would combine coursework and service-learning to create a high quality, transformative experience for his students. Ireland models an innovative “universal design” policy that frames disability as a natural aspect of life. “We saw early on that this connection in Ireland could lead to fruitful research opportunities,” said Leahy. “The applied research that we intend to pursue through the institute offers real value to people. We hope to learn where assistive technology is making an impact in daily life and where it is not.”

Jeffrey Riedinger, dean of International Studies and Programs at MSU, says that the formation of the IRIID as a result of long-term engagement through study abroad is an excellent example of aligning educational programming and research abroad. “Our vision is to give all of our students, faculty and staff the opportunity to help solve some of the world’s most pressing problems,” he said. “One way we achieve this is through our study abroad office which works to ensure a broad offering of programs and increased accessibility for our students.”

“We also seek to create alignment between the locations and themes of faculty research, our study abroad programming, our recruitment of international students, and where our alumni live and work,” said Riedinger. “In doing so we aim to build deeper relationships with universities where we can partner on research and student exchanges.”

Leahy foresees many opportunities for rehabilitation counseling students and graduates to participate in research ventures of the IRIID, making international perspectives an even more integral part of their studies.