Navigation Support for Students with Intellectual Disability Using Mobile Devices

Abstract

Since the passing of the Higher Education Opportunity Act in 2008, more students with intellectual disability are being admitted to inclusive postsecondary education programs at U.S. colleges and universities. One of the challenges many students with intellectual disability face when arriving on a college campus is learning to navigate their new surroundings independently. We share how postsecondary education programs can use an assistive technology, Google My Maps, to customize maps to address each student’s unique needs in independently navigating the college campus and the surrounding community. Also discussed are ways to infuse person-centered planning into Google My Maps. Implications for practice and future research directions are discussed.