Abstract
Purpose – This article seeks to describe online tools for surveying and improving quality of life for people with disabilities living in assisted living centers and special education service organizations.
Design/methodology/approach – Ensuring a decent quality of life for disabled people is an important welfare state goal. Using well-accepted quality of life conceptions, online diagnostic and planning tools were developed during an Institute for Education, University of Zurich, research project.
Findings – The diagnostic tools measure, evaluate and analyze disabled people's quality of life. The planning tools identify factors that can affect their quality of life and suggest improvements.
Research limitations/implications – Instrument validity and reliability are not tested according to the standard statistical procedures. This will be done at a more advanced stage of the project. Instead, the tool is developed, refined and adjusted in cooperation with practitioners who are constantly judging it according to best practice standards.
Practical implications – The tools support staff in assisted living centers and special education service organizations.
Originality/value – These tools offer comprehensive resources for surveying, quantifying, evaluating, describing and simulating quality of life elements.
Hoyningen-Süess, Ursula