Media Use by Individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

As a result of rapid growth and technological advances, access and opportunities to engage with media continue to expand. In addition to traditional one-to-many forms of media (e.g., newspapers, magazines, and radio), people now have access to many-to-many forms of media on a wide range of social media platforms. Although contemporary media allows people to access and share information more readily than ever before, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) still face many barriers when it comes to accessing and using media. This entry describes people with ID/DD’s barriers to accessing and navigating contemporary media as well as the benefits media can have for people with ID/DD.