More people with intellectual disabilities should dare to express themselves digitally

How can more people with intellectual disabilities be given the opportunity to express themselves on social media – in a safe, creative and independent way? This is the question for a two-year Erasmus+ project in which the School of Education and Communication at Jönköping University is collaborating with several organizations in Portugal and Greece. In all three countries, both people with intellectual disabilities and organizations working closely with this group are taking part.

The aim of the project is to increase digital inclusion – that is, the ability to use digital services such as social media – for people with intellectual disabilities. Through the project, participants will gain more ways to express themselves artistically, for example through images and visual creation online. The project focuses on empowering staff within disability services, such as personal assistants and carers. By developing knowledge, methods and practical tools, they will be able to support the target group in expressing themselves digitally without risking vulnerability, for example through cyberbullying, fraud or breaches of personal privacy. The aim is for more people with intellectual disabilities to feel confident using social media, making connections and participating in society on equal terms.

The work at the School of Education and Communication is led by Helena Taubner, Assistant Professor of Special Education. The project team also includes Radu Dinu, Associate Professor of History, as well as Klas Öhling and Isabel Widerg, Lecturers in Art. The School of Education and Communication has been awarded nearly SEK 600,000 for its part in the project. The project leaders are based in Portugal, at the foundation-owned organization Casa da Imagem. Other participants include the University of Porto and the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens.

“It feels very meaningful to be involved in this kind of project. Research shows that people with intellectual disabilities can feel excluded, including when it comes to social media,” says Helena Taubner.

Launch in Portugal – now in Jönköping

Last autumn, the project took off with a meeting in Portugal, where project participants from the three countries came together to plan for the next two years. Since then, everyone involved has been working from home, and last week everyone gathered in Sweden at the School of Education and Communication. In addition to the project participants from Portugal and Greece, staff from Habo Municipality, which is also part of the project, participated.

Besides discussions and exchange of experiences, the week included practical work in the form of workshops where participants worked on three themes:

• How to share photos and posts safely – and what various social media settings mean
• Developing social skills, such as communication and trust, by creating art together
• Discovering and interpreting one’s surroundings through creativity, for example by creating portraits of oneself and others

The aim is for the activities to be directly applicable within disability services and to become a freely available educational material that more people can access.

“A constructive and creative week”

Project managers Joana Mateus and Inês Azevedo from Casa da Imagem in Portugal, sum up the week in Jönköping by saying that it has been very important for the project to meet up.

“It’s essential to meet up so we can learn together. The whole project is based on collaboration between people from different organizations and professions, and this week has been both constructive and creative”, says Joana Mateus.

They also say they’re impressed by the facilities at the School of Education and Communication.

"Everything has worked so well, not least the lovely art studios where we’ve been working this week. It’s all been brilliant”, says Inês Azevedo.

In addition to producing educational materials, the project will also organize exhibitions in all three countries. To mark the conclusion of the project, the participants will come together for an exhibition at the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens.

“I’m very pleased with the week and what we’ve achieved together. We’ll now compile all the material from the week and then take the project to the next stage,” says Helena Taubner.